US-Iran Tensions Highlights: Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif meets Prime Minister Modi

Iran's foreign minister said on Wednesday an existing nuclear deal the country struck with world powers was not dead and that he was unsure if any new pact agreed by U.S. President Donald Trump would last.

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. India can play a role in de-escalating tensions in the Gulf region as New Delhi is an important player, Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif said on Wednesday.

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. U.S. President Donald Trump said he agreed with a comment by British Prime Minister Boris Johnson that a "Trump deal" should replace the Iran nuclear deal.

. "Former National Security Adviser for President Obama said “President Trump was absolutely correct” in taking out terroristist leader Soleimani. Thank you General Jones! (sic)" tweets US President Donald Trump.

Former National Security Adviser for President Obama said “President Trump was absolutely correct” in taking out terroristist leader Soleimani. Thank you General Jones!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 15, 2020

. Good morning reader! Welcome to DH's live blog on Us-Iran tensions. Stay tuned for all the latest updates and news on the US-Iran tensions.

. Iran's judiciary has arrested some people for their role in the crash of a Ukrainian plane that Tehran said was accidentally hit by an Iranian missile, judiciary spokesman Gholamhossein Esmaili said on Tuesday.

. Iranwill punish all those responsible for the accidental shooting down of a Ukrainian passenger plane, President Hassan Rouhani said in a televised speech on Tuesday, adding that the "tragic event" would be investigated thoroughly.

"It was an unforgivable error ... one person cannot be solely responsible for the plane crash," he said.

"Iranian armed forces admitting their mistake is a good first step ... We should assure people that it will not happen again," he said, adding that his government was "accountable to Iranian and other nations who lost lives in the plane crash".

(Reuters)

. Iran's government on Monday denied a "cover-up" after it took days for the armed forces to admit a Ukrainian airliner was shot down by mistake last week.

"In these sorrowful days, many criticisms were directed at relevant officials and authorities...some officials were even accused of lying and a cover-up but, in all honesty, that was not the case," spokesman Ali Rabiei said in remarks aired on state television.

AFP

. Iranian police and security forces fired both live ammunition and tear gas to disperse demonstrators protesting against the Islamic Republic's initial denial that it shot down a Ukrainian jetliner, online videos purported to show Monday.

. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has warned that military confrontation with Iran will impact global peace and stability, as he visits the Middle East hoping to ease tensions spiked by the US killing of a top Iranian general.

. Iran has set the official selling price (OSP) of its Iranian Light grade for its Asian buyers in February at a premium of $3.35 a barrel above the Oman/Dubai average, up 10 cents from the previous month, an industry source said on Monday.

Reuters

. US President Donald Trump said Sunday he does not care if Iran agrees to negotiate with the United States after a senior adviser earlier suggested the Islamic Republic would have no choice but to agree to talks.

. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Sunday he was "outraged" by another missile attack on an Iraqi airbase where US forces have been stationed, as neighbouring Iran signalled a wish to de-escalate regional tensions.

. TheUS government will announce "actions" on Monday along with results of a Justice Department criminal investigation into the December shootings at the Pensacola Naval Air Station in Florida that killed three U.S. service members and wounded eight other Americans, an official told Reuters.

. US Defense Secretary Mark Esper on Sunday said that he shared President Donald Trump and his national security team's view that the Iranians were planning to attack American embassies in the Gulf, even though he did not see specific intelligence suggesting that.

. A volley of rockets slammed into an Iraqi airbase north of Baghdad where US forces have been based, wounding four local troops, the Iraqi military said on Sunday.

. Facebook Inc. is taking down Instagram posts that express support for Iranian commander Qasem Soleimani, who was killed in a U.S. strike, CNN reported.

. Following his arrest for setting up a suspicious gathering in front of Amir Kabir University, British ambassador to Tehran Rob Mcaire was released after Foreign Ministry's mediation, but his case will be pursued by Iran and he will be summoned tomorrow.

. British ambassador to Tehran has been detained for organizing suspicious movements and protests in front of Amir Kabir University but released after hours and will be summoned by foreign ministry tomorrow morning, Iranian media reports.

. US President Donald Trump told Iranians that he stands by them and is monitoring the demonstrations. "There cannot be another massacre of peaceful protesters, nor an internet shutdown. The world is watching," he tweeted

. Ukraine on Saturday demanded that Iran punish those guilty for the downing of a Ukrainian airliner and compensate victims while praising Tehran for cooperating with the "objective" investigation.

. Iran's admission that it accidentally downed Ukrainian passenger jet, killing all 176 people aboard, is an "important first step", British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Saturday.

. Iran's statement on Saturday that a Ukrainian passenger plane was downed by a missile fired unintentionally followed growing pressure from abroad and also at home, and for some Iranians, the authorities' expressions of condolence were not enough.

. Iran's Revolutionary Guards accepts full responsibility for the downing of a Ukrainian airliner, a senior commander of the guards said in a video posted online by state TV.

. A statement by Iran saying it accidentally shot down a Ukrainian passenger plane confirms one of the working theories of the Ukrainian state security service (SBU) on what caused the crash, SBU chief Ivan Bakanov said on Saturday.

. President Hassan Rouhani said Iran's armed forces had been on alert for possible attacks by the Americans after the "martyrdom" of Soleimani.

. Iran's Judiciary Chief urges Judicial Organization of Armed Forces to identify people responsible for the Ukrainian Plane Crash and present related evidence regarding the accident. (Tasnim News Agency)

. ISIS has hailed recent assassination of Iran's top military commander, Lt. Gen. Qasem Soleimani, by its “allied” US forces in Iraq, describing the criminal act as a “divine intervention” made by direct order of American President. (Tasnim News Agency)

. Iranian Armed Forces promised it will institute "fundamental reforms in operational processes" of its forces to "make impossible repeat of such errors", saying people responsible for this error will be introduced to Judicial Organization of Armed Forces to be dealt with legally. (Tasnim News Agency)

. Iran announced Saturday that its military 'unintentionally' shot down a Ukrainian jetliner, killing all 176 aboard.

. A Ukrainian aircraft which crashed earlier this week in Iran had flown close to a sensitive military site belonging to the elite Revolutionary Guards and was shot down unintentionally due to human error, the Iranian military said in a statement read on state TV on Saturday.

. Iran will announce on Saturday the reason for the crash of the Ukrainian airliner that was flying to Kiev from Tehran earlier this week, the semi-official Fars news agency reported on Friday, citing an informed source.

. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Vadym Prystaiko said on Friday that Iran was cooperating with an investigation into the crash of a Ukrainian passenger plane, and that Kiev was not ruling out any version yet of what might have happened. Canada and others have said the plane was brought down by an Iranian missile, probably by mistake, but Prystaiko said Ukraine did not want to come to conclusions yet about what caused the crash. He said the issue of where the black boxes would be analysed was still being discussed. (AFP)

. After President Donald Trump's speech on Wednesday, tensions have been easing in the region resulting in lower crude oil prices. The US announced fresh sanctions against Iranian leaders and leading metals manufacturers.Tehran’s provisional Friday prayers leader said Iran’s missile attack on a US military base in Iraq in retaliation for Lt. General Qasem Soleimani’s assassination was only a small part of hard revenge operation against Washington. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said that Qasem Soleimani was planning to hit four embassies. Many Western powers accused Iran of shooting down a Ukrainian plane that departed from Tehran while Iran maintained that the aircraft was downed due to technical issues. Investigations are ongoing to determine the cause of the crash.

. Iran's Charge d'affaires in Belarus said on Friday that the US terrorist act in the assassination of Lieutenant General Soleimani, who was visiting Iraq as an official guest, violated Iraqi sovereignty in addition to its terrorist nature. (IRNA)

. Iran's civil aviation chief denied that a missile downed a Ukrainian airliner which crashed killing all 176 on board, dismissing Western claims of a catastrophic mistake

. Tehran’s provisional Friday prayers leader said Iran’s missile attack on a US military base in Iraq in retaliation for Lt. General Qasem Soleimani’s assassination was only a small part of hard revenge operation against Washington (Tasnim News Agency)

. The United States has announced fresh sanctions against eight top Iranian officials it accused of working to destabilize the region, as well as against more than a dozen leading producers of metals in the Islamic republic

. The United States has rejected a request by Iraq's caretaker prime minister to send a delegation to start preparations to pull out its 5,200 troops in the country

. Escalation of tensions in any form between the United States and Iran following the killing of Iranian commander Qasem Soleimani could have a significant impact not only on crude oil supply and prices but also 8 million Indian expats living in the middle East says a report by Hindustan Times.

. Airliner might have been downed by a missile but it has not been confirmed, says Ukraine

. Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said the US is behaving like ISIS when threatening to devastate Iran's cultural heritage of thousands-year-old civilization. (IRNA)

. Iran welcomes participation in Ukrainian Airlines plane crash investigation of those countries whose citizens were killed in the incident: Iranian Foreign Ministry's spokesman (Tasnim News Agency)

. Iranian President Hassan Rouhani called on European countries to show reaction to American acts of terrorism, such as the sanctions against people of Iran and the assassination of Iranian commander Lt. General Qassem Soleimani(Tasnim News Agency)

. Trump mocked Pelosi's metal acuity and called Schiff a “pencil neck." He also tagged Sen. Bernie Sanders as “Crazy Bernie” for raising objections to how he carried out the strike on Soleimani.

. "We know this may have been unintentional. Canadians have questions, and they deserve answers," Canada PM Trudeau says, citing "information" Iran missile brought down plane.

. "I actually had a name: NATO, right, and then you have ME -- Middle East. NATOME. I said, what a beautiful name." Trump offers new name for NATO in Middle East: NATOME

. “We did not aim to kill (anybody)” the commander of the IRGC said, adding, “We intended to hit the enemy’s military machine.”

. Iranian government once again expressed condolences to the bereaved families over the Ukrainian plane crash and issued a statement in this respect, government spokesman Ali Rabiei said. Acommittee in charge of investigating the incident has been formed on the basis of regulations of International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) which will examine the incident transparent ally, precisely, quickly with the participation of all experts from relevant countries.

. The US House of Representatives passed a resolution on Thursday to stop President Donald Trump from further military action against Iran, rebuking the president days after he ordered a drone strike that killed a top Iranian commander and raised fears of war.

The Democratic-controlled House voted 224-194, mostly along party lines, sending the war powers resolution to the Senate. The partisan vote reflected the deep divide in Congress over Trump's Iran policy and how much of a say lawmakers should have over the use of the military.

Read the full report here .

. The USHouse of Representatives passed a resolution on Thursday to stop President Donald Trump from further military action against Iran, rebuking the president days after he ordered a drone strike that killed a top Iranian commander and raised fears of war.

The Democratic-controlled House voted 224-194, mostly along party lines, sending the war powers resolution to the Senate. The partisan vote reflected the deep divide in Congress over Trump's Iran policy and how much of a say lawmakers should have over the use of the military.

Democrats accused Trump of acting recklessly and backed the resolution, while Trump's fellow Republicans, who rarely vote against the president, opposed it. ( Reuters )

. Good morning readers and welcome to our live coverage of US-Iran tensions. Stay tuned for live updates.

. EU chief Charles Michel defended the crumbling Iran nuclear deal Thursday after US President Donald Trump urged Europe to quit it, but warned Tehran against "irreversible acts" that would sink the accord.

. China on Thursday rejected US President Donald Trump's call to "break away" from the Iranian nuclear deal and work for a new one, saying the agreement is a "hard won outcome" adopted by the UN and "all parties" should abide by it.

. Prime Minister Imran Khan has directed Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi to visit Iran, Saudi Arabia and the US as part of Pakistan's efforts to defuse the tensions in the Gulf region following the killing of a top Iranian general in a US drone strike.

. The crew of a Ukrainian jetliner that crashed in Iran never made a radio call for help and were trying to turn back for the airport when the plane went down, according to an initial Iranian report released on Thursday on the disaster that killed 176 people.

. The US and Iran stepped back from the brink of a possible war on Wednesday as President Donald Trump signaled he would not retaliate militarily for Iran's missile strikes on Iraqi bases housing US troops.

. Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson strongly condemned comments from secretary general of NATO in justification of American assassination of Iranian commander Lt. General Qassem Soleimani. (Tasnim News Agency)

. The navy is ready to send warships to the Middle East if evacuation is necessary, according to the Times of India.

. Two rockets crashed late Wednesday into the Iraqi capital's Green Zone, the high-security enclave where foreign embassies including the US mission are based, security sources told AFP.

. US Defense Secretary Mark Esper said Wednesday that the United States has reestablished some deterrence toward Iran in the wake of the January 3 drone strike that killed Iranian general Qasem Soleimani in Baghdad.

. US President Donald Trump on Wednesday touted America's newfound "energy independence" which means the country is no longer at the mercy of geopolitical upheaval in the region.

. Iranian missiles damaged or destroyed seven buildings in the part of Ain al-Asad air base in Iraq that houses U.S. military personnel, satellite photographs appear to show.

. USPresident Donald Trump said on Wednesday there were no American casualties in the Iranian strikes on military bases housing UStroops in Iraq and that Tehran appeared to be standing down.

"No Americans were harmed in last night's attack by the Iranian regime. We suffered no casualties," Trump said in a White House address.

"Our great American forces are prepared for anything. Iran appears to be standing down."

. This will be the first presidential response from US President Donald Trumpto Iran's missile salvo aimed at the US military in Iraq overnight other than a tweet in which Trump said that "all is well!"

. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday warned arch-enemy Iran that his country would inflict a "crushing blow" on Tehran if it is attacked following the US killing a top Iranian general.

. Iran's President Hassan Rouhani said the Islamic republic's response on Wednesday to a US strike that killed one of its general shows "we don't retreat in the face of America".

"If America has committed a crime... it should know that it will receive a decisive response," Rouhani said in a televised address, hours after Iran fired missiles at Iraqi bases housing US troops.

"If they are wise, they won't take any other action at this juncture." (AFP)

. "We of course condemn the attack on Iraqi military bases hosting coalition forces. Iran should not repeat these reckless and dangerous attacks but must instead pursue urgent de-escalation," British PM Boris Johnson told parliament. (Reuters)

. Iraq's prime minister's office said Wednesday it had received "an official verbal message" from Iran informing it that a missile attack on US forces stationed on Iraqi soil was imminent.

Iran launched 22 missiles at Iraqi bases housing US and other coalition troops early Wednesday in response to the killing of senior Revolution Guards commander Qasem Soleimani in a US drone strike in Baghdad last week.

(AFP)

. Rerouting flights of Air India, Air India Express which usually use Iranian airspace due to tension in that country: Spokesperson. (PTI)

. Iran's missile attacks on UStargets in Iraq on Wednesday were 'legitimate self-defence', Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif told state TV, adding that Washington's assessment to retaliate should not be based on 'illusions'.

Reuters

. Iranian state television said on Wednesday that at least 80 "American terrorists" were killed in attacks involving 15 missiles Tehran launched on U.S. targets in Iraq, adding that none of the missiles was intercepted.

State TV, citing a senior Revolutionary Guards source, also said Iran had 100 other targets in the region in its sights if Washington took any retaliatory measures. It also said U.S. helicopters and military equipment were "severely damaged".

Reuters

. In view of the prevailing situation in Iraq, Indian nationals are advised to avoid all non-essential travel to Iraq until further notification. Indian nationals residing in Iraq are advised to be alert and may avoid travel within Iraq., says MEA.

. Any US retaliation to Iran's missile attacks on American targets in Iraq could lead to an all-out war in the Middle East, an adviser to Iranian President Hassan Rouhani tweeted on Wednesday.

"Any adverse military action by the US will be met with an all-out war across the region. The Saudis, however, could take a different path - they could have total peace!" Hessameddin Ashena said in a statement on Twitter.

Read the full report here .

. Iran is not seeking escalation or war, Iranian Foreign Minister tweeted after Tehran hit U.S. targets in Iraq on Wednesday, adding that Tehran would defend itself against any aggression. "Iran took & concluded proportionate measures in self-defense under Article 51 of UN Charter targeting base from which cowardly armed attack against our citizens & senior officials were launched. We do not seek escalation or war, but will defend ourselves against any aggression," Mohammad Javad Zarif tweeted.

. Iran took andconcluded proportionate measures in self-defense under Article 51 of UN Charter targeting base from which cowardly armed attack against our citizens andsenior officials were launched. We do not seek escalation or war, but will defend ourselves against any aggression, says Iran's Foreign Minister.

. Iran fired "more than a dozen" ballistic missiles Tuesday against two airbases in Iraq where the US and coalition forces are based, the Pentagon said.

"At approximately 5.30 pm (2230 GMT) on January 7, Iran launched more than a dozen ballistic missiles against US military and coalition forces in Iraq," Assistant to the Secretary of Defense for Public Affairs Jonathan Hoffman said in a statement.

"It is clear that these missiles were launched from Iran and targeted at least two Iraqi military bases hosting US military and coalition personnel at Al-Assad and Irbil."

. Good morning readers and welcome to our live coverage of US-Iran tensions are Iranian General Qasem Soleimani was killed in an airstrike by the US. Stay tuned for live updates.

. The killing of a top Iranian general has ratcheted up the anxiety of families of Americans held in Iran, one month after the release of a New Jersey student had given them hope.

. Protesters in New Delhi trample and burn posters of U.S. President Donald Trump, following the killing of Iranian Revolutionary Guard Gen. Qasem Soleimani (Quicktake by Bloomberg)

. Muslim countries should unite to protect themselves against external threats, Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad said on Tuesday after describing the US killing of Iranian military commander Qassem Soleimani as immoral. (Tasnim News Agency)

. Iranian lawmakers approved a motion designating US Army and Pentagon as terrorist organisations in response to assassination of #Iran ’s General Qassem Soleimani. (Tasnim News Agency)

. Huge numbers of Iranians turn out for the burial of the slain commander of the Revolutionary Guards' Quds Force -- matching turnout seen in Tehran, Qom, Mashhad and Ahvaz. ( AFP )

. Gen. Soleimani will be buried Tuesday in his hometown in southeastern Iran. The leader of the Revolutionary Guard, speaking in front of the slain general's casket, threatened to “set ablaze” places the U.S..supports, sparking cries of “Death to Israel!” ( AP )

. Body of the senior Iranian military commander, Qasem Soleimani killed in a U.S. drone strike in Iraq last week, has arrived in his home town of Kerman in southeast Iran for burial, the official IRNA news agency said on Tuesday.

. The Pentagon is distancing itself from President Trump’s assertion that he would bomb Iranian cultural sites. International law protects such sites from attack. (AP)

. Iran's Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance Abbas Salehi said in response to Trump's threats against Iranian cultural sites that Iran is not the US. (IRNA)

. IRAN WILL NEVER HAVE A NUCLEAR WEAPON!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 6, 2020

. The US military on Monday told the Iraqi government American troops were preparing to pull out of the country but a top US general in Washington said the message was sent by "mistake"

. Gulf economies, already strained by years of low oil prices, face a double-edged sword with the prospect of conflict with Iran increasing oil prices while also threatening exports.

. US lawmakers will vote in coming days on a war powers resolution aimed at putting a check on President Donald Trump's military actions after he ordered the killing of top Iranian general, senior Democrat Nancy Pelosi said.

. A sea of black-clad mourners paid homage in Iran's capital Tehran on Monday to top commander Qasem Soleimani, killed in last week's US drone strike that inflamed tensions across the Middle East, as NATO ambassadors met to discuss the crisis.

. The United States has created "global anti-US fury and a worldwide rancor" by killing senior Iranian military commander Qassem Soleimani, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif tweeted on Monday.

"What the US has accomplished in its terrorist assassination of anti-ISIS heroes is to unleash global anti-US fury and a worldwide rancor—on a scale not seen in recent memory," Zarif wrote. "End of malign U.S. presence in West Asia has begun."

Reuters

. President Donald Trump insists that Iranian cultural sites are fair game for the US military, dismissing concerns within his own administration that doing so could constitute a war crime under international law.

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. Saudi credit default swaps soar on U.S.-Iran crisis. (Reuters Iran)

. US President Donald Trump's threat to slap sanctions on Iraq, should Baghdad expel US troops based there "is not very helpful", German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said Monday.

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. China on Monday slammed what it called US "adventurism" which aggravated tensions in the Middle East and urged all parties to exercise restraint, saying Beijing was "highly concerned" over the worsening situation following the killing of a top Iranian general by America.

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. President Donald Trump on Monday threatened to impose "very big" sanctions on Iraq after its Parliament called on the US military to leave the country for assassinating top Iranian General Qasem Soleimani in a drone attack in Baghdad.

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. Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has wept while praying over the remains of a top Iranian general killed in a USairstrike in Baghdad. Khamenei offered the prayers in Tehran for General Qassem Soleimani as a huge crowd wailed in response. (The Associated Press)

. "Crazy Trump, don't think that everything is over with my father's martyrdom," Zeinab Soleimani said in her address broadcast on state television after US President Donald Trump ordered Friday's strike that killed the top Iranian general.

. Tens of thousands of Iranians thronged the streets of Tehran on Monday for the funeral of Quds Force commander Qassem Soleimani who was killed in a U.S. air strike last week and his daughter said his death would bring a "dark day" for the United States.

"Crazy Trump, don't think that everything is over with my father's martyrdom," Zeinab Soleimani said in her address broadcast on state television after U.S. President Donald Trump ordered Friday's strike that killed the top Iranian general. Iran has promised to avenge the killing of Soleimani, the architect of Iran's drive to extend its influence across the region and a national hero among many Iranians, even many of those who did not consider themselves devoted supporters of the Islamic Republic's clerical rulers. (Reuters)

. Iranian general Esmail Ghaani, who replaced Qassem Soleimani, slain by a U.S. airstrike, has vowed revenge as Tehran abandons the remaining limits of its 2015 nuclear deal. (AP)

. The funeral procession will start this morning at Tehran University. Heads of the three branches of the government, members of the Expediency Council, cabinet members, president's deputies, Members of Parliament, senior Iranian military commanders, Friday prayers leaders, provincial officials and a huge number of Iranians from all walks of life attended the ceremony.

. President Donald Trump on Sunday said that his tweets would serve as prior notification to the US Congress if he did decide to strike against Iran again. "These Media Posts will serve as notification to the United States Congress that should Iran strike any US person or target, the United States will quickly and fully strike back, and perhaps in a disproportionate manner,” Trump said in a tweet.

. Equity benchmark BSESensexsank over nearly 500 points in the opening session on Monday as an escalation in tensions in the Middle East fuelled volatility in global equities.The 30-share BSE index was trading 376.66 points or 0.91 per cent lower at 41,087.95. Similarly, the broader NSE Nifty cracked 109.60 points or 0.90 per cent to 12,117.05.

. Saudi Arabia was not consulted by its ally Washington over a US drone strike that killed a top Iranian general, an official said Sunday, as the kingdom sought to defuse soaring regional tensions. Saudi Arabia is vulnerable to possible Iranian reprisals after Tehran vowed "revenge" following the strike on Friday that killed powerful commander Qasem Soleimani in Baghdad.

. U.S. President Donald Trump threatened sanctions against Baghdad on Sunday after Iraq's parliament called on U.S. troops to leave the country, and the president said if troops did leave, Baghdad would have to pay Washington for the cost of the air base there.

. The leaders of Germany, France and Britain on Sunday urged Iran to drop measures that go against the 2015 nuclear deal, after Tehran announced it would no longer abide by a limit on enrichment.

. US President Donald Trump doubled down Sunday on a threat to attack Iranian cultural sites despite accusations that any such strike would amount to a war crime. After his top diplomat, Mike Pompeo, had insisted that any military action would conform to international law, Trump said he would regard cultural sites as fair game if Iran resorted to deadly force against US targets.

. Secretary of Supreme National Security Council Ali Shamkhani hailed the law enacted by the Iraqi parliament on exit of the US forces from that country, saying that the US continued presence in Iraq amounts to occupying the country: Iranian state media

. Worried over escalating tension between Iran and United States, New Delhi on Sunday got in touch with both Tehran and Washington D.C. and underlined India’s stakes in the Persian Gulf and its concern over prospects of instability and conflicts in the region.

External Affairs Minister, S Jaishankar, spoke to US Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo, and Iranian Foreign Minister, Javad Zarif, over the phone. He also called up his counterparts in Oman and United Arab Emirates, Yusuf Alawi and Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and discussed the evolving situation.

Read the full report here .

. German Chancellor Angela Merkel, President of France Emmanuel Macron and UK prime minister Boris Johnson issue statement urging Iran to withdraw measures flouting nuclear deal, reports AFP .

. US President Donald Trump on Sunday vowed "major retaliation" if Iran tries to avenge the killing of its key military commander Qasem Soleimani and doubled down on a threat to bomb Iranian cultural sites. "If they do anything there will be major retaliation," Trump told reporters. ( AFP )

. Good morning readers and welcome to our live coverage of the tension between the US and Iran.US President Donald Trump has threatened"very big" sanctions on Iraq if US troops forced to leave. Stay tuned for live updates.

. Two rockets hit near the US embassy inIraq's capital Sunday, witnesses told AFP, shortly after the deadline from a hardline pro-Iran faction for local troops to get away from US forces.

The vehemently anti-American group, Kataeb Hezbollah, had warned Iraqi security forces to "get away" from US troops at joint bases acrossIraqby 5:00 pm (1400 GMT).

Sunday's attack marks the 14th time rockets have been fired towards US installations inIraqover the last two months.

. Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah on Sunday said the US army will "pay the price" for killing top Iranian general Qasem Soleimani and a senior Iraqi commander in a strike.

. Saudi Aramco shares hit the lowest level since their market debut on Sunday, as Gulf bourses were hit by a panicky sell-off amid Iranian vows of retaliation over the US killing of a top general.

. Amid spiralling US-Iran tensions over the killing of Iranian military commander Qasem Soleimani, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Sunday had a conversation with his Iranian counterpart Javad Zarif and said India remained deeply concerned about the levels of tension in the region.

. The United States President Donald Trump is "a terrorist in a suit", Iranian Information and Telecommunications Minister Mohammad Javad Azari-Jahromi tweeted on Sunday.

. Iran will finalise its fifth step back from a nuclear deal later on Sunday, a spokesman said, in retaliation for the US withdrawing from the multilateral accord and reimposing sanctions.

. A tide of mourners flooded the Iranian city of Ahvaz on Sunday, weeping and beating their chests in homage to top general Qasem Soleimani who was killed in a US strike in Baghdad.

. Saudi Arabia was not consulted by Washington over a US drone strike that killed a top Iranian general, an official said Sunday, as the kingdom sought to defuse soaring regional tensions.

. Iraq's parliament was expected to vote Sunday on ousting US troops from military bases, which are threatened by pro-Tehran factions after an American strike killed top Iranian and Iraqi commanders.

. Iran's army chief said onSunday that Washington lacked the "courage" to initiate a conflict after US President Donald Trump threatened to hit dozens of targets inside the Islamic republic.

"I doubt they have the courage to initiate" a conflict in which the Americans threatened to strike 52 targets, Major General Abdolrahim Mousavi said, quoted by state news agency IRNA. (AFP)

. "The funeral procession iscurrently underway in Ahvaz. The next destination will be Mashad. The bodies of martyrs will then be transferred to Tehran, Qom and Kerman." says Iranian news agency IRNA.

. "The United States designated Iran a “State Sponsor of Terrorism” in 1984 and since then, Iran has actively engaged in or directed an array of violent and deadly acts against the United States and its citizens globally. The United States designated Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) a Foreign Terrorist Organization on April 15, 2019 for its direct involvement in terrorist plotting." says the advisory.

. Petrol and diesel prices rose for the fourth straight day on Sunday as global oil prices jumped after the US killed a top Iranian general, fanning fresh fears of conflict in the crude-rich Middle East. Retail pump price of petrol was hiked by 9 paise per litre and that of diesel by 11 paise, according to a price notification of state-owned fuel retailers.

. We condemn it. Any such incident anywhere across globe must be condemned. We have been getting threats from US since years, we are facing it. We don't have enmity with anyone, but if someone acts against us, we know how to respond, saysMohsin Jawadi, Iranian Minister.

. "The United States just spent Two Trillion Dollars on Military Equipment. We are the biggest and by far the BEST in the World! If Iran attacks an American Base, or any American, we will be sending some of that brand new beautiful equipment their way...and without hesitation!" tweets US President Donald Trump.

. Iran's supreme leader named the deputy head of the Revolutionary Guards' foreign operations arm Esmail Qaani to replace its commander Friday after he was killed in a US strike in Baghdad.

. Iraqi PM Adil Abdul Mahdi declares three days of national mourning for Iranian military commander Qassem Soleimani, Iraqi militia leader Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, and others killed in US air strike in Baghdad. (AIRNews)

. A group claiming to be hackers from Iran breached the website of a little-known US government agency on Saturday and posted messages vowing revenge for Washington's killing of top military commander Qasem Soleimani.

. Two rockets on Saturday hit Iraq's Al-Balad air base, whereUStroops are stationed, while two mortars hit Baghdad's Green Zone, a high-security enclave housing theUSembassy, security sources said.

. An assertion by US Vice President Mike Pence that Iranian commander Qasem Soleimani, who died Friday in an American attack in Iraq, had helped the September 11 terrorists has been sharply challenged in the US press.

. "Let this serve as a WARNING that if Iran strikes any Americans, or American assets, we havetargeted 52 Iranian sites (representing the 52 American hostages taken by Iran many years ago), some at a very high level & important to Iran & the Iranian culture, and those targets, and Iran itself, WILL BE HIT VERY FAST AND VERY HARD. The USA wants no more threats!" tweets Donald Trump.

. Palestinian factions organize a mourning ceremony in Gaza City in honor of slain Iranian military commander Qasem Soleimani who was killed in the Iraqi capital Baghdad in a US air strike. ( AFP )

. Pro-Iran factions ramped up pressure on US installations across Iraq with missiles and warnings to Iraqi troops, after tens of thousands mourned an Iranian general killed in a US strike.

. Anti-war activists protest in Times Square in New York following the US drone attack that killed Iran's Major General Qasem Soleimani in a dramatic escalation of tensions between the two countries.

. In the first hints of possible retaliation for a US drone attack that killed a top Iranian commander, mortar rounds hit an area near the US embassy in Baghdad. Moments later, two rockets slammed into an Iraqi base where US troops are deployed. (AFP)

. Iran is talking very boldly about targeting certain USA assets as revenge for our ridding the world of their terrorist leader who had just killed an American, & badly wounded many others, not to mention all of the people he had killed over his lifetime.

. Qassem Soleimani was responsible for killing at least 603 US service members and maiming thousands more in Iraq. 17% of US personnel deaths in Iraq between 2003 and 2011 can be attributed to this terrorist and his IRGC-Qods Force.

. Britain warned its nationals to avoid all travel to Iraq, outside the Kurdistan region, and to avoid all but essential travel to Iran following the death of Qasim Soleimani.

. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said onFriday that Washington's European allies had not been "as helpful" as he hoped over the US killing of Iranian military commander Qasem Soleimani in Iraq.

. While you thought that ‘Happy New Year’ would be the most trending thing at the start of the year, Iran, US, Trump, and ironically, World War 3 took its place. After US President Donald Trump ordered the killing of Iran Revolutionary Guards commander Qasem Soleimani, social media has been abuzz with varied opinions on the incident.

. Thousands of Iraqis chanting "Death to America" on Saturday mourned an Iranian commander and others killed in a US drone attack that sparked fears of a regional proxy war between Washington and Tehran.

. Thousands of mourners chanting "America is the Great Satan" marched through Baghdad in a funeral procession for Iran's top general and Iraqi militant leaders. Iran's Gen. Qassem Soleimani was killed in a U.S. airstrike in Iraq. (AP)

. Tehran Revolutionary Guards commander Qasem Soleimani, who was killed Friday in a US strike, was one of the most popular figures in Iran and seen as a deadly adversary by America and its allies.

. Thousands more US troops were ordered to the Middle East on Friday after the United States assassinatedIran's military mastermind and Tehran promised "severerevenge."

. With a single drone strike, President Donald Trump did more than just take out an avowed enemy of the United States. He may have have also upended a central element of his foreign policy.

. Defending the killing of top Iranian commander in a US strike, President Donald Trump on Friday said the "reign of terror is over" and claimed Qasem Soleimani had contributed to "terrorist plots as far away as New Delhi and London."

. Iranian Quds forces in Iraq began operations backing Shia militias and fought against ISIS. Their operations were led by Major-General Qasem Soleimani. Soleimani had been leading the Quds forces for over 15 years when their fight against ISIS began.

. The tone in global financial markets has turned cautious after a USairstrike killed a top Iranian commander, fueling concern over an escalation in tensions.

US-Iran Tensions Highlights: Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif meets Prime Minister Modi

That's all from our end readers. Thank you for staying tuning in to our live coverage of the US-Iran conflict. For more latest news visit www.deccanherald.com.

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