UK urges Iraq to keep British troops in place

The UK government has urged Iraq to keep British troops in the country as tensions escalate following the assassination by the US of Iranian general Qasem Soleimani.

President Donald Trump ordered the killing in a drone strike last week and Iraq responded by passing a resolution saying it wanted an end to all foreign military presence there, which included British armed forces.

However, in emergency talks between British prime minister Boris Johnson and his Iraqi counterpart Adel Abdul Mahdi, Downing Street underlined the role Britain is playing in training security forces, providing equipment and peacekeeping.

"The prime minister underlined the UK's unwavering commitment to Iraq's stability and sovereignty and emphasised the importance of the continued fight against the shared threat from [the so-called Islamic State]," a spokesperson said.

Meanwhile, Iran's ambassador to the UK Hamid Baeidinejad has vehemently denied reports that his country has threatened to kill British troops in retaliation for the assassination of Soleimani.

Around 400 British troops are currently stationed in Iraq.