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EXPERTS have told Westerners to get out of the United Arab Emirates immediately fearing reprisals for today's assassination of the top Iranian general.

Tensions have escalated steeply after the Trump administration killed Qasem Soleimani in an airstrike this morning at the direction of the US President.

General Qasem Soleimani, the head of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards' elite Quds Force, has been killed by US forces in Iraq
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General Qasem Soleimani, the head of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards' elite Quds Force, has been killed by US forces in Iraq

The strike was condemned by Iran's foreign minister as 'an act of international terrorism' and now expats and holidaymakers are being told to get out of hotspots such as Dubai.

Iranian Professor Seyed Mohammad Marandi from the University of Tehran warned the BBC: "If I was a Western citizen I would leave the United Arab Emirates immediately.

He added: "Not only will Iranian leaders retaliate but also Iraqis will retaliate.

"The Americans have murdered Iraqi war heroes, this was a senior Iraqi government official.

"The American position in Iraq is no longer sustainable and I think that the whole region is now a threat."

"The whole region's future is unclear because of the terrorist attack committed in Iraq. No matter how you frame it, it's the equivalent of assassinating the British commander of the British armed forces."

He continued: "This is essentially a declaration of war against Iran and they have a pretty wide menu from which to choose [as a form of retaliation]"

LEAVE THE UAE IMMEDIATELY

The US has approximately 5000 troops stationed in Iraq and is mobilising 750 paratroopers.

Iraq has condemned "the outrageous breach of the condition for the presence of US forces in Iraq" and is expected to demand US forces leave the country.

The Iranian reaction has been "extraordinary" and there are high-level talks of "very severe revenge" leaving diplomats and experts saying that "consequences are unknown".

Other commenters called the assassination 'a powerful political weapon' against the US but all agree that escalation and retaliation is to be expected.

Previous US administrations have considered assassinating Soleimani before but decided that the fallout was too great a risk.

The US State Department has told US citizens to leave Iraq immediately
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The US State Department has told US citizens to leave Iraq immediately
Two US missiles hit the cargo area of Baghdad airport shortly after midnight. The first hit a vehicle carrying General Soleimani and Muhandis
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Two US missiles hit the cargo area of Baghdad airport shortly after midnight. The first hit a vehicle carrying General Soleimani and Muhandis
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