Iran-US Tensions LIVE: We want you to have a great future, Trump tells Iran

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday warned that his country will hit back "strongly" if attacked by Iran, amid escalating tensions in the Gulf.

"Whoever tries to attack us will be dealt with a strong blow," Netanyahu said here, hours after Iran launched a series of retaliatory missile strikes on the US bases in Iraq, Xinhua reported.

In a major relief for intrenational community that had been on the edge after Iran's missile attack on two military bases hosting US forces in Iraq last night, US President Donald Trump on Wednesday said that the US wants peace and a "great future" for Iran.

"We want you to have a great future. US is ready to embrace peace," Trump told Iranian leadership and people.

Trump said that Iran appeared to be standing down, which is a good thing for all parties concerned. However, the US may impose fresh economic sanctions against Iran.

After the missile strike, Iran had made it clear that it does not want war with the US and it had only "responded proportionally" after a US drone strike kills one of its top generals, Qassem Soleimani.

Cyprus said Wednesday it had accepted a US request to station a rapid response team on the island in case American diplomatic personnel or civilians need to be evacuated in the region amid rising US-Iranian tensions.

Cyprus "gave its consent for the temporary stationing in Cyprus of a rapid response unit whose task will be to evacuate US diplomatic missions to the region, as well as US citizens, if necessary," said government spokesman Kyriacos Koushos.

He stressed that the request was accepted "for exclusively humanitarian operations".

NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg on Wednesday condemned Iranian rocket attacks on Iraqi bases housing US troops, carried out in retaliation for the killing of one of Tehran's top commanders.

Tehran fired ballistic missiles at two bases in Iraq overnight in the first act of the Islamic republic's promised revenge for the US killing of Qasem Soleimani in Baghdad on Friday, drawing criticism from Western powers.

"I condemn the Iranian missile attacks on US and coalition forces in Iraq. NATO calls on Iran to refrain from further violence," Stoltenberg tweeted.

Centre is closely monitoring the developments in the Gulf region. EAM has spoken to his counterparts in Jordan, Oman, Qatar, France & UAE. He has also spoken to Foreign Minister of Iran and the US Secretary of State, says Union Minister V Muraleedharan

Iraq's caretaker Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi on Wednesday called on the US and Iran to exercise self-restraint and respect the Iraqi state after the Iranian missile attack on military bases housing US forces in the country.

Abdul Mahdi said that Iraq "rejects any violation of its sovereignty and aggression on its lands, and the government continues its efforts to prevent escalation and that all parties should respect the sovereignty of Iraq and not endanger its people", Xinhua reported citing a statement from his office.

The tension between the United States and Iran is threatening the delivery of aid to millions across the Middle East. "Its a duty of humanitarians to give assistance and attention according to the needs of people not to the geopolitical strategic interest to us, no political or other motive should influence our assistance", says Chief of NRC Jan Egeland.

Whatever we have done is a part of our response. Millions of people who participated in the funeral of General Qassem Soleimani had demanded the government for it. We have done it (attacks on US airbases in Iraq) . We are not looking for war, says Iranian Ambassador

India is a part of the region. It should be a part de-escalation. We are welcoming any initiative from our good friends from India, says Iranian Ambassador

Iran's aviation authority said it would not hand over to Americans the recovered black boxes of a Boeing 737 that crashed Wednesday, killing all 176 passengers and crew.

"We will not give the black boxes to the manufacturer (Boeing) and the Americans," Iran Civil Aviation Organisation head Ali Abedzadeh said, quoted by Mehr news agency.

Kuwait's defense minister said it has received a letter from the Commander in Chief of a US military camp in Kuwait "declaring imminent withdrawal of all US military forces in three days," state news agency KUNA said.

"Certainly, the next measure will be proportionate to what they will do, but the dear Iranian nation had a bigger demand too whose materialization will continue and it is ending the malevolent presence of the Americans in the region which has always brought nothing to the regional nations but war, misery, terror and crime," says Iranian Defense Minister

General Soleimani fought heroically against ISIS, Al Nusrah, Al Qaeda et al. If it weren’t for his war on terror, European capitals would be in great danger now. Our final answer to his assassination will be to kick all US forces out of the region.

French-US jet engine maker CFM said any speculation regarding the cause of Ukraine airliner crash in Iran is premature.

The security at the US Consulate here has been beefed up in view of the rising tension between the US and Iran.

The Hyderabad Police deployed more police personnel, and security barricades were erected near the office of the US Consulate General, which is located in the busy Begumpet area to prevent any untoward incident.

US security personnel have also put in place additional security measures at the consulate.

“The Kurdistan Region supports de-escalation of the situation and seeks dialogue and diplomatic solution to the problems. It also seeks stability and peace and urges all parties to refrain from dragging the Kurdistan Region into the rivalries”, they said in a statement.

Finland's defense forces say they received advance warning of the Iranian missile strike against bases in Iraq used by US troops.

The Ministry of Defense said on Wednesday there were no British casualties in the attack launched in retaliation for the US drone strike that killed Iran's top Revolutionary Guard commander, Gen. Qassem Soleimani, in Baghdad last week.

Tom Tugenhat, the chairman of the defense committee during the previous Parliament, told the BBC it would be "extremely welcome" if Iran's action marked the end of tensions and both sides could “get back to talking." The Kurdish region hosts American military forces at its main airport just outside Irbil.

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.

"We received an official verbal message from the Islamic Republic of Iran that the Iranian response to the assassination of Qasem Soleimani had begun or would begin shortly, and that the strike would be limited to where the US military was located in Iraq without specifying the locations," the office said.

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 Iraq last week.

Iranian search and rescue teams have found the black boxes from a Ukrainian airliner that crashed Wednesday soon after takeoff from Tehran's main airport, the country's civil aviation authority said.

"The two black boxes of the Ukranian 737 aeroplane that crashed this morning have been found," said the authority's spokesman, Reza Jafarzadeh, according to semi-official news agency ISNA.

Hours after a Ukrainian plane carrying 176 people crashed near Tehran and Iranian government conducted missile strikes against US military bases in Iraq, Air India said it is temporarily rerouting its flights and that of its subsidiary Air India Express which use Iranian airspace.

"In light of the tensions within the Iranian airspace a decision to temporarily reroute flights of Air India (AI) and Air India Express (AIX) overflying Iran has been taken. This may lead to increase in flying time by approximately 20 minutes for flights from Delhi and 30 to 40 minutes for flights from Mumbai," said the airline's spokesperson.

Aviation regulator DGCA on Wednesday morning asked Indian airlines to remain vigilant and take all precautions in airspace over Iran, Iraq, Gulf of Oman and waters of Persian Gulf

A top commander in Iraq's Hashed al-Shaabi paramilitary network said Wednesday it was time for an "Iraqi response" to a US drone strike that killed the network's deputy chief.

"That response will be no less than the size of the Iranian response. That is a promise," Qais al-Khazali, a hardline Hashed commander, threatened in a tweet.

Iran launched missiles at Iraqi bases housing US troops early Wednesday in retaliation for last week's US drone strike that killed senior Iranian commander Qasem Soleimani and Hashed deputy chief Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis.

Zarif held telephone conversations and consultations with the UN Secretary-General and his counterparts from various countries of the world, including Russia, China, Germany, Britain, Turkey, Azerbaijan, Iraq, Pakistan, India, Kazakhstan and Lebanon in the past few days to discuss regional developments, according to IRNA news agency.

he burgeoning Iran crisis has sparked oil supply worries over the Strait of Hormuz -- a vital shipping lane for a fifth of global crude -- and also over Iraq's output, analysts say.

Oil prices had surged last Friday after US President Donald Trump ordered the drone assassination of Iran's top general Qasem Soleimani, but the market stabilised on Monday and Tuesday with Middle East crude supplies unaffected.

"The plane was manufactured in 2016, it was received by the airline directly from the (Boeing) factory. The plane underwent its last planned technical maintenance on January 6, 2020," the Ukraine International Airlines says

France is not planning to withdraw its 160 soldiers deployed in Iraq following Iranian missile strikes targeting US-led forces, according to Reuters

In view of recent developments and prevailing security situation in the region, Pakistani nationals are advised to exercise maximum caution while planning visit to Iraq at this point. Those already in Iraq are advised to remain in close contact with Pakistan Embassy in Baghdad, says MoFA

SriLankan Airlines, the island nation's flag carrier, announced on Wednesday that it has changed the route of its Colombo-London-Colombo flights to avoid the airspaces of Iran and Iraq due to heightened tensions in the region.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang says China is closely monitoring the situation and will issue security alerts according to the situation

Britain on Wednesday condemned Iran's missile attacks on Iraqi bases housing coalition military, while confirming there were no British casualties from the strikes.

"We condemn this attack on Iraqi military bases hosting Coalition -- including British -- forces," said Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab.

Raab urged Tehran to show restraint. "We urge Iran not to repeat these reckless and dangerous attacks, and instead to pursue urgent de-escalation," he said.

Air France said on Wednesday it has suspended until further notice flying through Iranian and Iraqi airspace after Iran fired ballistic missiles against bases housing US troops in Iraq.

"As a precautionary measure and following news of air strikes underway, Air France has decided to suspend until further notice all flights through Iranian and Iraqi airspace," an Air France spokesman told AFP.

Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei praised both the Iranian and Iraqi parliaments' approvals in the last few days. The Iranian parliament approved a bill that designated the US as a terrorist organization and the Iraqi parliament approved a bill that requires the US army to leave the Arab country, according to a Iran’s Fars news agency.

Iran's president threatened the United States that Washington might have "cut off the arm" of General Qassem Soleimani but America's "leg" in the region would be cut off in response, Iran's Fars news agency reported.

His comments come after Iran launched missile strikes on US airbases in Iraq.

The Ukrainian plane that crashed outside Tehran on Wednesday morning, killing all on board, was carrying 82 Iranian and 63 Canadian nationals, a Ukrainian minister said.

The Boeing 737 was also carrying 11 Ukrainians, 10 Swedes, four Afghans, three Germans and three Britons, Foreign Minister Vadym Prystaiko wrote on Twitter.

Former Pakistan Army Chief says Iran is fully capable to challenge the US and Zionist regime.

He said IRGC Quds force commander Lieutenant General Qasem Soleimani was playing active role in the Middle East region, as well as Afghanistan, according to IRNA

"The region cannot afford war. It is not in anyone's interest and will impact the global economy," Dawn news quoted Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi on Wednesday as saying in a statement.

"We are also endeavouring to ensure that tensions in the region remain in check.

"Pakistan does not want tensions to escalate. This region cannot witness yet another war.

"Such matters need to be resolved through dialogue. The UN security council and the international community needs to play a role in resolving tensions in the region," he added.

American public is increasingly critical of President Donald Trump’s handling of Iran after he ordered the US military to kill a powerful Iranian military commander, and a majority of US adults now expect the countries to be at war in the near future, according to Reuters

The vast majority of passengers on the flight to Ukraine that crashed near Tehran Wednesday morning were not Ukrainian nationals, security authorities in Kiev said.

"There were two Ukrainian passengers and nine Ukrainian crew members on board" the Boeing 737, said Ukraine's national security council, which is overseeing a crisis team.

The plane was carrying over 170 people, all of whom died in the crash.

Iran's supreme leader said a "slap in the face" was delivered to the United States, when the Islamic republic fired missiles at US troop bases in Iraq on Wednesday.

"Last night, a slap in the face was delivered," Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said in a speech broadcast live on state television.

His remarks came after he had vowed "severe revenge" for a US drone strike that killed one of Iran's top military commanders near Baghdad international airport last week.

We should get to know our enemies and their plans. We have people to tackle them politically and militarily. Our enemy is America and the Zionist regime, says Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei

Iranians welcomed the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps strikes on the US base in Iraq which was conducted on Wednesday morning in retaliation to the assassination of the IRGC great commander Lieutenant General Qasem Soleimani.

Earlier, Iranian Foreign Minister wrote in his Twitter account: "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 condemn this attack on Iraqi military bases hosting Coalition - including British - forces,” British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said.

“We urge Iran not to repeat these reckless and dangerous attacks, and instead to pursue urgent de-escalation.”

Iran will welcome any peace initiative by India for de-escalating its tensions with the US after the killing of Iranian military commander Qasem Soleimani, the Iranian envoy here said on Wednesday.

"India usually plays very good role in (maintaining) peace in the world. At the same time India belongs to this region. We welcome all initiatives from all countries, especially India as a good friend for us, to not allow escalation (of tensions)," Iranian Ambassador to India Ali Chegeni told reporters after a condolence meeting for Solemani at the country's embassy in Delhi.

"We are not for war, we are looking for peace and prosperity for everybody in this region. We welcome any Indian initiative or any project that can help peace and prosperity in this world," he said.

Former US Vice President and Democratic front-runner Joe Biden has said that President Donald Trump was bringing the US "dangerously close" to starting a war with Iran.

The Democratic presidential candidate said here on Tuesday that Trump's authorization of killing Iranian commander Qasem Soleimani on January 3, an abrupt move made without consultation with the US Congress and allies, has exacerbated tensions in the Middle East, reports Xinhua news agency.

"A president who says he wants to end endless war in the Middle East is bringing us dangerously close to starting a brand-new one."

Biden also blasted Trump's decision to withdraw from the Iran nuclear deal, which has made the US an "international outlier" and sowed the seeds of the ongoing crisis.

Biden, who spent three decades on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, argued the only way out of the Iran crisis was through diplomacy.

"No one wants war. But it's going to take hard work to make sure we don't end up there accidentally," he added.

Dubai-based Emirates Airline canceled a return flight to Baghdad on Wednesday following Iran’s missile attack on US-led forces in Iraq.

“We are carefully monitoring the developments and are in close contact with the relevant government authorities with regards to our flight operations, and will make further operational changes if required,” Emirates said in a statement.

Iran's response to any new wickedness from the US will be stronger and more crushing, says Iranian Armed Forces Chief of staff Major General Mohammad Baqeri, according to Iran news agency

A total of 22 missiles struck two bases housing US troops, but there were no Iraqi casualties, the Iraqi military said Wednesday after the overnight attack.

"Between 1:45 am and 2:15 am (2245 GMT and 2315 GMT) Iraq was hit by 22 missiles, 17 on the Ain al-Asad air base and...five on the city of Arbil," the Iraqi military command said in a statement, adding they hit sites being used by the US-led international coalition.

"There were no victims among the Iraqi forces," the military said, referring to the attack carried out by Iran in retaliation for the US killing of a top Iranian general.

The energy minister of the United Arab Emirates says he sees no immediate shortages in oil supplies, but that OPEC will be called in if there is an issue.

In the wake of the missile attack on US bases in Iraq, the Ministry of External Affairs Wednesday issued a travel advisory, asking Indian nationals 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. Our Embassy in Baghdad and Consulate in Erbil will continue to function normally to provide all services to Indians in Iraq," it said in a tweet.

The Philippines has ordered its citizens to leave Iraq, the Philippine foreign ministry said on Wednesday, after Iran attacked US forces there in response to a US strike that killed an Iranian general last week.

"The alert level in the entire Iraq has been raised to alert level 4 calling for mandatory evacuation," said Eduardo Menez, spokesman at the Department of Foreign Affairs.

All is well! Missiles launched from Iran at two military bases located in Iraq. Assessment of casualties & damages taking place now. So far, so good! We have the most powerful and well equipped military anywhere in the world, by far! I will be making a statement tomorrow morning, tweets US President Donald Trump

Iran: Ukrainian airplane carrying at-least 170 passengers and crew which crashed near airport in capital, Tehran

Singapore Airlines: In view of the latest developments in the region, all our flights in and out of Europe will not be flying over the Iranian airspace. We will continue to monitor the situation closely

Iranian state television states that at least 80 "American terrorists" were killed after Tehran fired 15 missiles on United States targets in Iraq and added that none of the missiles were intercepted.

It has also said Iran had 100 other targets in Iraq in its sights if Washington took any retaliatory measures. Iran also stated that United States helicopters and military equipment were "severely damaged".

Iran launched dozen missile attacks on US-led forces in Iraq in the early hours of Wednesday in retaliation for the US drone strike on an Iranian commander whose killing has raised fears of a wider war in the Middle East.

Irans Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) said on Wednesday that it launched a missile attack on the US airbase of Ain al-Asad in Iraq in retaliation against the death of Major General Qasem Soleimani, who was killed in an American drone attack on January 3.

The attack comes after the IRGC had called for a complete withdrawal of US troops from the Iran, asserting that it would not differentiate between the Washington and Israel while retaliating against Soleimani's killing.