What is happening between Iran and the UK? Latest news on Tehran-London relations

THE UK has been dragged into a state of tension after President Donald Trump assassinated top Iranian General Qasem Soleimani in a US airstrike.

But what does this mean for us? Here’s the latest.

What’s happened between the UK and Iran?

Tensions between Iran and the West reached boiling point earlier in January 2019 – as Iran’s General Qasem Soleimani was killed in a US airstrike at Baghdad Airport.

Boris Johnson has called ministers for a crisis meeting as the Iranian stand-off escalates.

The PM said that Soleimani was behind thousands of deaths and should not be “lamented”.

Iran have pulled out of the nuclear deal and Trump said they will hit them harder should they retaliate.

An expert has said that his death is “bigger than Bin Laden” because “for two decades, Soleimani has been the most powerful, savvy and effective terrorist on the planet.”

Here is everything that’s happened so far:

2020

• January 6: Iran threatened to kill British soldiers in revenge attacks following the death of Soleimani in a US drone strike.
• January 6: UK’s former head of the navy Lord West of Spithead warned Britain is a “softer target” than the US for an Iranian retaliatory attack.
• January 6: Sir Simon Vincent Mayall told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme that Brit troops serving in the Middle East could “possibly” be killed in retaliation attacks on US soldiers.
• January 5: Jeremy Hunt warns Iran US strike could be “hammer blow” to getting jailed Brit Nazanin Zahari-Ratcliffe home. The Brit has been jailed in Iran since 2016.
• January 5: Boris Johnson said the UK will not lament the death of Gen Soleimani — but urged the world to step back from war.
• January 5: UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab called for calm warning war will make terrorism worse.

• January 5: it was revealed that a Royal Navy nuclear-powered submarine armed with Tomahawk cruise missiles is in position to strike Iran if tensions give way to war in the Middle East.
• January 4: Retaliation fears as Donald Trump warns US will hit 52 targets after Tehran pinpointed 35 “key US targets”.
• January 4: SAS troops were being sent to the Middle East to rescue stranded Brits if needed.
• January 4: Thousands of mourners were seen chanting “death to America” at Soleimani’s funeral on – as Iran promised “harsh revenge” on the US.
• January 3: Ahman Khatami, an adviser to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei has threatened to “turn day into night” sparking fears that World War Three is on the cards.
• January 3: Westerners warned to leave Dubai and surrounding areas.
• January 3: US airstrike kills Iranian military commander, General Qasem Soleimani – but UK and allies were unaware of Trump’s plans to strike the Iranian General.

2019

• September: it was reported that Boris Johnson tried to talk Donald Trump out of war with Iran after oil plant attacks.
• September 14: two major Saudi Arabian oil plants attacked “by drones” – thought to be from Iran.
• September 11: two British women were seized by Iran and thrown in jail.
• August 15: Gibraltar released supertanker Grace 1.
• August 6: Iranian President warned that a conflict with Iran would be “the mother of all wars” after Brit ships joined the US Navy in the Gulf.
• July 19: two British oil tankers, the Stena Impero and the Mesdar, apprehended by Iranian forces in the Straight of Hormuz in retaliation for Grace 1.
• July 4: Iranian oil tanker, Grace 1, was held in Gibraltar by the British on July 4, for trying to bust European sanctions and take oil to Syria.