nvery very latest news, weather and other very latest news, weather and sport committee. Enjoy your day, goodbye. This is bbc news. Im shaun ley. The headlines at 9. 00. Iranian mps chant death to america as President Trump warns the United States has a list of 52 targets that will be hit very hard if iran retaliates for the killing of its top military leader. Royal Navy Warships are ordered to escort british flagged vessels in the persian gulf and the Prime Minister is returning to the uk from his caribbean holiday. Hundreds of thousands of people gather in the iranian city of ahvaz where after the body of general soleimani arrived from iraq earlier. The australian bushfires claim their 24th life as a man dies helping defend a friends home in New South Wales. More than 2,000 homes have been destroyed and an estimated 500 million animals killed. The costs of hs2 are out of control and its benefits overstated, according to the deputy
chair of its review panel. Hollywood prepares for the Golden Globes ceremony, as the awards season gets under way this evening. And our sunday morning edition of the papers is at 9. 35. This mornings reviewers are dave wooding, the Political Editor of the sun on sunday, and the business commentator, josie cox. Good morning to you and welcome to bbc news. President trump says the United States has a list of 52 iranian sites which will be hit very hard and very fast if there is retaliation for the killing of Qasem Soleimani. Irans most senior military commander was assassinated on thursday in baghdad in an american air strike. Mr trump said the targets were high level, and important to iranian culture. The British Government has announced two royal Navy Warships will escort uk shipping in the persian gulf, and the foreign secretary dominic raab will travel to washington for talks later this week. Greg mckenzie has this report. As britain ramps up its security in the middle east, donald trump has threatened to hit 52 iranian targets should iran strike any american or us assets in retaliation for the killing of its revered general Qasem Soleimani, whose death the nation has vowed to avenge. The number 52 relates to the 52 american hostages who were taken after the embassy was seized in tehran in 1979 and they were held for 444 days. The president posted on twitter iran is talking very boldly about targetting certain usa assets. He goes on to say, the us has identified 52 iranian sites, some at a very high level
and important to iran and the iranian culture. And those targets and iran itself will be hit very fast and very hard. Trump added, the usa wants no more threats. The tweets came hours after at least four rockets were fired towards baghdads heavily fortified green zone last night, where the us and british embassies sit. No one was injured. In response to the iranian threats of revenge, the us has sent 3,000 more troops to the middle east and advised its citizens to leave iraq. British warships have been ordered to escort Merchant Shipping in the persian gulf. The foreign secretary dominic raab has confirmed he will travel to washington on thursday to meet the us secretary of state mike pompeo, but not before meeting his german and french counterparts in the week. Downing street said the Prime Minister, who is due to arrive back in the uk from his caribbean holiday today, would speak to other World Leaders in the coming days. Greg mckenzie, bbc news. Hundreds of thousands of iranians have gathered in ahvaz where the body of the assassinated general, Qasem Soleimani, has arrived ahead of his burial on tuesday. The centre of the city is full, with People Holding pictures of the general and beating their chests in mourning, as the hearse slowly makes its way through the vast crowds. The procession in ahvaz marks the beginning a three day ceremony. The generals body will be moved to tehran on monday, before burial on tuesday in his south eastern hometown of kerman. Lets ta ke take a look at some of President Trumps treats this morning. They attacked us and we hit
back, he wrote. If they attack again, which i would strongly advise them not to do, we will hit them harder than they have ever been hit before he went on to talk about recent us military spending on weapons, with the warning 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 lets speak to the Washington Posts iraq reporter mustafa salim. He is currently in baghdad. Thank you very much for talking to bbc news this morning. How would you characterise the mood in the city since the killing of Qasem Soleimani . The situation right now isa high soleimani . The situation right now is a high case of tension due to what happened in the last operation. Iraq has always been in the middle of the tension between the usa and iran. And always knew that once there would be a war between the us and iran, iraq will be the
playground. These are only assumptions. The air strike was something big. Qasem soleimani was the spiritual leader of many militias in iran along with a man who died with him, they died together. They are well respected by the militias and well obeyed. The people have the power and can do great damage. There were some demonstrations i gather to celebrate his death from a small minority there. It underlines the fact that there. It underlines the fact that the country is divided over the degree of influence of a rock. When iran has influence in iraq, there is a division. People are loyal to iran and anti iran. The demonstration started in october here in iraq. Thats why it was accused by
militias and iran, being supported by the us. Some of those people celebrated when Qasem Soleimani died because they were in charge for killing the protesters in the past three months, they killed more than 500 people. As a result of that also, right now, the number of people has been reduced day by day, so people has been reduced day by day, so there is a wave of revenge against them. As a result of the murder of those two people by the us forces. What do you think the prospectors of iraqi being able to contain this . To see a reduction of tension which President Trump has said he would like to achieve, but his critics say this is the wrong way to achieve it . I mean, for iraqi people, they just want to way to achieve it . I mean, for iraqi people, theyjust want to be away from the struggle. I mean, they know they are in the middle but theyjust
wa nted they are in the middle but theyjust wanted to be away. The former Prime Minister said frequently, please dont fight in our lands. I quote him on that. Right now, the militias in southern iraq wanted to respond by bombing the us forces in iraq. They also should have warned the iraqi forces to stay away at least 1000 metres from any base that has an american president , because they will all be bombed. The Iraqi Government is now saying that all the courses are under the control of a government which is not true. Those militias are not under the control of a run. Those militias are not under the control ofa run. Iran. The concern right now in iraq is in case that they will be attacked by those militias against the us forces, the
responsible be also in iraq, and it will escalate day by day which will reach to a war. Do you anticipate the Iraqi Government or at least the parliament asking for the american troops to leave . The session is supposed to be held today. Until now, there is not enough mps to achieve the session. And even if they have the session they wont get enough votes. To get that, they will need the majority of votes. Kurds will not vote. Sunnis will not vote. She will not vote. Shia is will not vote. Any mp5 will be banned from entering baghdad. Thank you from entering baghdad. Thank you from the Washington Post for speaking to us from baghdad. Lina sinjab is our middle east correspondent. Shejoins us now from beirut. Good morning. This is a period of great uncertainty for the region. First of all, lets talk about what we are expecting today with the Funeral Service and the procession obviously continuing tomorrow too, in his birthplace. What is being reported about the atmosphere in iran at the moment . Well, the pictures tell the story. There is a sea of people, a sea of angry people taking to the streets mourning the death over a person they see as a leader, as an icon, as someone who is second to their Supreme Leader in iran. Thousands took to the streets and still walking in the funeral across the country, and the body of Qasem Soleimani has arrived this morning to iran starting in the city
of ahvaz and then will move to tehran before being buried in his home town on tuesday. We heard that, even the Supreme Leader is going to lead the prayers tomorrow in tehran where there will be another big funeral procession for Qasem Soleimani. This is a big loss for iran. A big anger among the Shia Community in the region, for those who follow a run and believe in iran, he is seen as the man who orchestrated the Foreign Policy and military influence in the region and his loss is going to be leaving a big void in the region. Weve got three countries where iran has considerable influence, immediately surrounding it. Lebanon, where you are speaking from at the moment, iraq and syria. Is there a concern
about those countries becoming effectively proxy battle grounds for some kind of conflict with the United States, even if neither washington nor tehran actually declare war on each other . Well, these three countries as you rightly mentioned are already a proxy alliance to iran. There are shia militias stationed there. In lebanon, there is has been arkham operating inside syria and the shia militias in iraq are also operating inside syria under the orders of iran and mainly under the supervision of Qasem Soleimani, so whatever iran decides on its retaliation and revenge towards american interests, it will order its proxy militias in the region or beyond to conduct what they see as the response at the time and the place of their choosing. So far,
this escalation in words, we have seen a couple of rockets that hit american bases with a coalition in the green zone in baghdad took place overnight. Thats a message of escalation from a group that is closely affiliated to iran, so its ha rd to closely affiliated to iran, so its hard to see where things are going, but its definitely a worrying sign in the region. Thank you very much. This morning the foreign secretary dominic raab described the late general soleimani as a regional menace but said it was important to de escalate tensions. I spoke to the iraqi Prime Minister just this morning and the iraqi president last night and i will be reaching out to the foreign minister ofa run reaching out to the foreign minister of a run with that same message. You asked about general Qasem Soleimani. Lets be very clear, he was a regional menace and we understand the position that the americans find themselves in and they have a right to exercise self defence. Theyve explained the basis on which that is done, and we are sympathetic to the
situation they find themselves, but there is a risk with a heightening of and we now want to see the de escalation and the stabilisation of the situation, and a war, in fa ct, of the situation, and a war, in fact, is in no ones interest. The only people who would gain would be the terrorists who would exploit it. Lets speak to the defence editor for the evening standard, robert fox who joins me in the studio thanks very much for coming in. Well, hes gone, his dad, his significance in the region is hard to overestimate, isnt it . What are the implications of his death for the implications of his death for the stability of the middle east . His legacy goes on. This is why critics who question targeted assassinations always say that this is the logic of goodfellas, taking out an opposing mafioso, but in fa ct, out an opposing mafioso, but in fact, Qasem Soleimani had done the work of building this chain of has
blood type militias which is a relatively new phenomenon, partly political commissar social but also militarily in a sub sophisticated way extremely capable and thats where they have got to look to the threat from now. The great thing that Qasem Soleimani showed was ingenuity. Iran has been able to do things that were unexpected and principally you have to look at the attack on the oil fields, september the 14th and saudi arabia, relatively simple drones, relatively simple possibly, very reasonable short range cruise missiles and yet they did it. They beat the air defences. If we are looking at a response thats the kind of response we are going to get, plus cyber and the nasty assassination attack. That will obviously affect notjust america but its allies as well. At least the british have troops in the region. Do you think that iran will
be willing to distinguish between the United States and its allies . No, there are two obvious weak point in the Regional Alliance and the western military alliance, and they are the uae rather than saudi arabia because its so close to iran, and britain. Britain has direct interest in the way america doesnt. Gas from qatar, for example. So its not only a military presence, it almost so small to be a few ships, a few thousand military marines, trainers ina thousand military marines, trainers in a rock, all told, but its this thing we are in this game because we are serious and we need their gas from qatar and we need to support both them and uae in particular where there is a direct interest. And i think that is where there will
be the kinds of things we have heard from dominic raab. We support our old est from dominic raab. We support our oldest ally, but its going to be a bit like vietnam and harold wilson. Are we going to put troops in to lash out all over the place, 52 targets with his beautiful weapons of donald trump . The answer, i think, is very clearly no. Harold wilson wouldnt even send bandsmen to give a fig leaf of being more than one country committed, butjust in terms of Qasem Soleimani mac bass departure from the scene, some in washington have been arguing, to be fair, some former Administration Officials have said america had to hit back somehow because iran kept pushing and pushing. They mention the attack on the Oil Installations and 11 attacks by iranian sponsored militias on military bases, the killing of the american civilian last friday, and in a sense, at some
point, america had to retaliate and maybe iran has overplayed its hand. Im very wary of think tanks on this. Some of the commentary in the papers this weekend has been quite close to drivel, because what you have to see is whats going on on the ground, and the israelis are very careful putting out briefs and they are very sharp, loquacious, and better for the they are very sharp, loquacious, and betterfor the americans they are very sharp, loquacious, and better for the americans on the hold and they have been pointing at this. There has been a quantitative improvement in these militias from hezbollah, and people realised through the syrian crisis, it is now a found army, and they have been supplying not only training, but its a new range of equipment as well, and this is what the israelis are pointing out. Its now precision weapons. Its the same thing as
driving a car, gps. This is the thing which is so worrying. What is so thing which is so worrying. What is so worrying about where the british and americans are in their training bases and so on, across iraq, they are spread too thin, and i think the people, not only the troops of Qasem Soleimani, but the leader who was also killed of qatar, hezbollah and the Popular Mobilisation forces, they will be thinking through that what is so striking to me is did they think of the strategic sequences and consequences . Yes, we ta ke sequences and consequences . Yes, we take this guy out and then what . What are the recognisable intended consequences and what are the unintended consequences . The intellectual harvesting of the latter i think has barely begun. Robert fox, good as ever to have you
here. Thanks very much. The number of people known to have been killed by the bushfires burning in australia has risen to 24. Efforts are under way to help those who have had to leave their homes. Australias Prime MinisterScott Morrison is deploying military resources to help tackle the flames. The situation is constantly changing across the country. Ben shepherd, from the New South Wales rural fire service, says varying weather conditions have made it difficult to control the fires. What we saw yesterday is winds, westerly winds, which basically come out of the centre of the continent, so from that dry centre whipping up across the state and really the low humidity combined with those temperatures driving up the fire dangers into the top of what we know is the extreme fire danger ratings and that was causing fires to run very erratically. We saw a numbe