Iran news latest: UK forces 'could be attacked as they are softer target' than the US, says retired British general

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Tim Baker6 January 2020

Iran could attack UK forces in the Middle East as they are a “softer target” than America, a retired British general has warned.

General Sir Richard Barrons added that the Islamic Republic could also strike at Britain or British forces as it would receive a more muted response than a similar move against the US.

It comes in the wake of the death of General Qasem Soleimani, who was killed in an air strike on Friday by the US.

General Soleimani was head of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards' elite Quds Force, which is responsible for the Islamic Republic's foreign campaigns.

General Barrons spoke of how Britain and its forces could be vulnerable due to their close allegiance with the US but lack of repercussions for attacks.

General Sir Richard Barrons criticises British military
PA

The former Commander of Joint Forces Command, who served in the Middle East, told Sky News: “[Iran] doesn’t really distinguish between the UK and the US military.

“But what it does do is see the UK as a softer target - you could target UK forces and that wouldn’t necessarily mean that you receive the full might of US response.

“So to some degree Iran can make a point against the UK without incurring the same risk as targeting the US directly.”

An Ministry of Defence spokesperson said: “The safety and security of our personnel is of paramount importance and we keep our force protection measures under constant review.

“For security reasons, we do not comment on specific force protection measures.”

Qasem Soleimani funeral in Iran

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There are currently around 1,400 British military and government personnel in Iraq.

Previous deaths of British forces in Iraq have been laid at the feet of General Soleimani, as he helped train Shia militia in the country.

Former US ambassador to Iraq, Afghanistan and Syria Ryan Crocker told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme on Monday: “Literally hundreds of coalition soldiers and marines, mostly Americans, were killed by improvised explosive devices that were manufactured in Iran, used by the Iraqi Shia militia trained by Soleimani, in very deliberate targeting.”

Thousands of mourners gathered on the streets of the Iranian capital of Tehran on Monday for the funeral of General Soleimani.

The military commander was one of the most powerful men in the country after Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

The religious leader in the country was seen weeping over General Soleimani’s coffin at the funeral.