Donald Trump warns Iran of severe retaliation if US diplomat attacked to avenge killing of top general Soleimani

Donald Trump, the US president, warned Tehran it would face severe military retaliation if reports that it is planning to assassinate a US diplomat prove to be true. "Any attack by Iran, in any form, against the United States will be met with an attack on Iran that will be 1,000 times greater in magnitude!” Mr Trump tweeted on Monday evening. The threat comes a day after Politico reported that Iran was weighing up an assassination attempt against Lana Marks, the US ambassador to South Africa and long-time friend of President Trump. The reported plan is said to be in response to the killing of top Iranian commander General Qassim Soleimani by US forces in January this year. The report was based on documents seen by an anonymous US intelligence official and another who was “familiar with the issue”. Ms Marks had been made aware of credible threats to her life, they said. The reporting has not been confirmed by any other major US news organisations or the US government. Serious tensions have been rising between the two countries since the assassination of Gen Soleimani, the leader of Iran’s elite Quds force, in January.

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