FREE now and never miss the top politics stories again. SUBSCRIBE Invalid email Sign up fornow and never miss the top politics stories again. We will use your email address only for sending you newsletters. Please see our Privacy Notice for details of your data protection rights.

World War 3 fears have been heightened after Iranian leaders have sworn to exact harsh and “crushing revenge” on the USA after a drone airstrike killed Major General Qassem Soleimani. The murder of the Iranian commander of the Quds Force has sparked promises of “harsh retaliation” causing alarm as the latest move in a tense back-and-forth battle between the two nations has been dubbed “a declaration of war from the US”. But which countries are allied with Iran and the US?

How did speculation about the start of World War 3 begin? The United States killed one of Iran’s top military commanders, Qassem Soleimani, in an airstrike in the early hours of Friday, January 3. In a statement, the Pentagon said: “At the direction of the president, the US military has taken decisive defensive action to protect US personnel abroad by killing Qassem Soleimani.” It added: “This strike was aimed at deterring future Iranian attack plans. “The United States will continue to take all necessary action to protect our people and our interests wherever they are around the world.” READ MORE: World War 3: What is the military draft age? Who can be drafted?

World War 3: Who are the countries allied with the USA and Iran?

World War 3: Donald Trump backed the airstrike on General Soleimani

READ MORE WW3: What are the chances of World War 3 happening? Has WW3 started? The move backed by US President Donald Trump has been condemned by important Iranian figures. Iranian Defence Minister Amir Hatami said: “A crushing revenge will be taken for Soleimani’s unjust assassination... We will take revenge from all those involved and responsible for his assassination”. Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said in a statement: “Soleimani’s martyrdom will make Iran more decisive to resist America’s expansionism and to defend our Islamic values. “With no doubt, Iran and other freedom-seeking countries in the region will take his revenge.” Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif tweeted: “The US act of international terrorism, targeting & assassinating General Soleimani... is extremely dangerous and a foolish escalation. “The US bears responsibility for all consequences of its rogue adventurism.” Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei also warned that “harsh retaliation” is waiting for the US. While Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, who is considered to be the only person in Iran more powerful than General Soleimani, tweeted: “His blood was shed by the most barbaric of men... The loss of our dear General is bitter. The continuing fight & ultimate victory will be more bitter for the murderers & criminals.” Since that time, Iran has been forced to admit culpability for shooting down a Ukranian passenger jet which led to the deaths of 176 people.

World War 3: Iran allies in the Middle East

Who are Iran’s allies? Throughout his career, General Soleimani enjoyed devoted loyalty from tens of thousands of fighters across Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Yemen and the Gaza Strip. Iraq militias Iran has trained, financed and equipped Shiite militias in Iraq for several years. Since the 2003 invasion by the US, these forces have been mobilised and supportive of Iran. The groups in the country in support of Iran include Asaib Ahl al-Haq, Kataeb Hezbollah and the Badr Organization, all three led by men who had close ties to General Soleimani. The leader of Kataeb Hezbollah, Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, was killed in the strike that felled General Soleimani. The militias are part of Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Forces, a collection of mostly Shiite militias that were incorporated into the country’s armed forces in 2016. In total, the group includes more than 140,000 fighters, and are at the command of Iraq’s prime minister, who is aligned with Iran.

READ MORE Iran protests: Crowds in Tehran REFUSE to walk on US flags Hezbollah The Hezbollah is a Shia Islamist political party and militant group based in Lebanon. The group is among the most effective armed factions in the region, extending Iran’s influence to Israel’s doorstep. Hezbollah was formed to combat Israel following its invasion of Lebanon in 1982 after which time it waged an 18-year guerrilla war against Israeli forces, eventually forcing them to withdraw from Lebanon in 2000. The group has an arsenal of tens of thousands of rockets and missiles and extensive battle experience. The group is allied with: Iran, Syria, Russia, Lebanon and Iraq, and also has alleged to be allied with Cuba, North Korea and Venezuela, although the latter two have denied the partnership.

World War 3 map: USA allies map

Gaza militants Iran has for many years supported Palestinian militant groups such as Gaza’s Hamas rules and the smaller Islamic Jihad group. Although Hamas fell out with Iran after the 2011 Arab Spring uprisings, Tehran is said to have continued its military support from Hamas’s armed wing. Currently, Hamas is in a state of financial crisis and appears to get much of its funds from Qatar, meaning it would be unlikely to support Iran in a regional conflict. However, it could choose to back Iran anyway.

READ MORE Iran war: Does Iran have nuclear weapons? Could it nuke the US? Yemen’s Houthis In Yemen, the Shite rebels are known as Houthis. The Houthi movement emerged in northern Yemen in the 1990s and are seen by Saudi Arabia as an Iranian proxy. The movement swept down from the north and captured the capital Sanaa in 2014. A Saudi-led coalition entered the conflict on the side of the government the following year. The war has killed tens of thousands of people and generated the world’s worst humanitarian crisis. Most Western nations and UN experts have accused Tehran of providing arms to these rebels, including the long-range missiles they have fired into Saudi Arabia. Iran supports the rebels but denies arming them.

Trending