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Fears for British troops after Iran chief's assassination

British troops in Iraq are at greater risk after the US airstrike that killed Iran's military chief, a former Foreign Office minister has warned, as the US embassy in Baghdad urges Americans to leave Iraq. Former Middle East minister Alistair Burt said the drone attack which killed General Qassim Soleimani was "extremely serious". Donald Trump has defended his decision to assassinate Soleimani, who he said was responsible for "thousands" of American deaths and "plotting to kill many more". By the time of his tweet, it had already emerged US lawmakers were not told in advance of the attack. The killing has prompted the leader of Iran-backed militia Hizbollah in Lebanon to issue a call to "resistance fighters" around the world to punish those responsible. Scroll down this article for a video showing mourners chanting "death to America" after the attack.

As Charles Lister explains here, the killing of Qassim Soleimani is one of the biggest developments in the Middle East for decades - far eclipsing the deaths of Bin Laden or Baghdadi in terms of strategic significance and implications. But who was Qassim Soleimani? Josh White profiles the shadowy general who undermined Washington for decades. Josie Ensor outlines the range of possible targets for Iran's "crushing revenge". At home, here is why petrol prices are set to rise in the wake of the attack. And read this analysis by Defence Editor Con Coughlin on why Soleimani's death has shown Iran it cannot strike with impunity.