Iran news – live: Trump claims Qassem Soleimani was ‘plotting to kill’ Americans, and urges US citizens to leave Iraq after killing of Iran’s top general

Benjamin Netanyahu has cut short a trip to Greece because of the killing of Soleimani.

Acting prime minister Naftali Bennett, in his absence, held an urgent security meeting in Tel Aviv while all embassies and consulates were put on high alert.

Via our Middle East correspondent Bel Trew, a line from Hamas.

Hamas, the militant group that runs Gaza and is accused of being supported by Iran, said Soleimani "had a senior role in supporting Palestinian resistance in all fields".

It extended "its dearest condolences to the Iranian leadership and the people of Iran at the martyrdom of Major General Qassem Soleimani".

Gaza-based Hamas official Bassem Naim wrote on Twitter that the assassination "opens the doors of the region to all possibilities, except calm & stability. USA bears the responsibility for that”.

Background on the US reasoning for its killing of Soleimani comes in the form of a statement by Mark Esper, the defence secretary, which accuses Iran of "malign and destabilising" actions in the Middle East.

"Over the last couple of months Iranian-backed Shia militias have repeatedly attacked bases hosting American forces in Iraq," he said.

"These attacks have injured our partners in the Iraqi Security Forces, but fortunately Americans were not casualties of these attacks until last week. On 9 November, Iranian-backed Shia militias fired rockets at Q-West Air Base located in northwest Iraq.

"On 3 December, they conducted a rocket attack against Al Asad Air Base, and on 5 December, they launched rockets against Balad Air Base. Finally, on 9 December, these same militia groups fired rockets at the Baghdad Diplomatic Support Centre located on the Baghdad International Airport.

"It is clear that these attacks are being directed by the Iranian regime, specifically IRGC leadership.

"In response, US leaders have repeatedly warned the Iranians and their Shia militia proxies against further provocative actions. At the same time, we have urged the Iraqi government to take all necessary steps to protect American forces in their country. I personally have spoken to Iraqi leadership multiple times over recent months, urging them to do more.

"To Iran and its proxy militias: we will not accept continued attacks against our personnel and forces in the region. Attacks against us will be met with responses in the time, manner, and place of our choosing. We urge the Iranian regime to end their malign activities."

In 2018, Soleimani issued a personal challenge to Donald Trump, who he called a "gambler".

“I’m telling you Mr Trump the gambler, I’m telling you, know that we are close to you in that place you don’t think we are. You will start the war but we will end it,” he said, according to Reuters.

About 5,200 American soldiers are based in Iraq. They mainly train Iraqi forces and battle Isis militants.

Iraq's prime minister has said the US killing of Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, the Iraqi militia leader, in the same airstrike that killed Soleimani, will "light the fuse of war".

Adel Abdul Mahdi said: "The assassination of an Iraqi military commander who holds an official position is considered aggression on Iraq ... and the liquidation of leading Iraqi figures or those from a brotherly country on Iraqi soil is a massive breach of sovereignty."

Richard Ratcliffe, husband of Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, who is detained in Iran, said: "Things are getting much worse again between the US and Iran, but also between all of us and Iran."

He told ITV's Good Morning Britain: "I sit here partly worried for what that means for Nazanin, partly worried what that means for my in-laws, sat in their ordinary living room in Tehran where they're all really worried."

Here is our most recent story on Ms Zaghari-Ratcliffe:

Fires burn outside Baghdad International Airport after airstrike that killed top Iran general Qassem Soleimani

Donald Trump's airstrike has shattered European attempts at diplomacy with Iran, an expert has suggested.

Carl Bildt, from the European Council on Foreign Relations, tweeted: "Let’s not forget that EU worked diplomatically for more than a decade to prevent a war between US and Iran over primarily the nuclear issue. And efforts have continued also in the difficult Trump era. But now the scope for diplomacy is probably extremely limited.

"With Iraq turned into a battlefield between US and Iran the already fragile state of Iraq will be weakened and the room for Daesh and other terrorist organizations will in all probability increase."

Iraq's most senior Shia cleric has urged restraint on all sides following the killing of Soleimani, while condemning the airstrike as a violation of the country's sovereignty.

Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani said: "The vicious attack on Baghdad international airport last night is an insolent breach of Iraqi sovereignty and international agreements. It led to the killing of several commanders who defeated Islamic State terrorists.

"These events and more indicate the country is heading towards very difficult times. We call on all concerned parties to behave with self restraints and act wisely."