Australians in the Middle East have been told they should leave now after rising tensions following the killing of an Iranian general by a US drone strike. 

As the Middle East grappled with the death of Iranian Quds Force commander Qassem Soleimani, a key ally of President Donald Trump was gloating.

Video game Conflict of Nations: World War 3 tweeted: 'Iran starting World War 3? Simulate any #WWIII scenario you can think of in Conflict of Nations right now!'

The image (pictured) appears to show General Qassem Soleimani being welcomed into paradise by Imam Hussein following his death in a US air strike yesterday morning.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo spoke to Netanyahu on the phone on Wednesday night, and the following morning the Israeli leader tweeted about 'very, very dramatic things' in the region.

Iran's foreign minister, Javad Zarif, called Secretary of State Mike Pompeo (left) an 'arrogant clown' following the funeral procession for slain Iranian general Qassem Soleimani (right).

The troops are in addition to about 700 soldiers from the 82nd Airborne who deployed to Kuwait earlier this week after the storming of the US Embassy in Baghdad by Iran-backed militiamen.

Mike Pompeo has accused European allies including the UK, France and Germany of 'not being helpful enough' over the attack while heaping praise on regional allies including Israel.

Adel Abdul Mahdi (left), Iraq's caretaker prime minister, said he was due to meet with top Iranian general Qassem Soleimani (right) on the day he was killed in Baghdad on Friday.

Kataib Hezbollah, an Iran-backed militia in Iraq at the centre of current tensions between Washington and Tehran, has threatened to attack US air bases in the country in revenge for the killing of Soleimani.

A defiant Lindsey Graham appeared on Fox News on Sunday and pulled no punches when asked about some of the president's fiercest critics, including Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.

Boris Johnson's official spokesman refused to criticise the dramatic drone strike despite threats from Tehran that UK forces could be 'collateral damage' in reprisals.

Benchmark oil prices hit more than $70 per barrel on Monday as the price of gold also soared, with investors looking for safe havens as world markets fall amid fears of a major war in the Middle East.

The Russian President shook hands with Syria's dictator on Tuesday as visited the headquarters of his forces in Damascus to hear military reports, amid fears of a war between ally Iran and the US.

In the early hours of this morning representative of the supreme leader in Iran, Saeed Jalili (pictured) retaliated and mocked President Trump by posting an image of the Iranian flag.

Thousands of people have lined the streets of Qassem Soleimani hometown before the head of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard's elite Quds Force was laid to rest.

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said the strike which saw 22 ballistic missiles fired at two US bases in Iraq was 'not enough' to punish the US while vowing to kick all American forces out of the Middle East.

The US Federal Aviation Authority on Wednesday also barred US airliners from flying over Iraq and Iranian airspace in the Persian Gulf and Gulf of Oman.

Australia could potentially find itself embroiled in another conflict in the Middle East after Iran launched a revenge rocket attack on American air bases in Iraq .

President Donald Trump has revealed that the U.S. is currently developing 'many' super-fast hypersonic missiles and boasted that the American weapons were 'big, powerful, lethal and fast'.

Lasers will be able to hit targets further away and through clouds and dust storms due to the technology. Israel is expected to test the laser weapons later this year, and deploy them in future.

Iranians prepared for missile strikes on two Iraqi airbases housing U.S. troops by making sure intelligence could detect the plans via satellites and eavesdropping, officials say.

Abdollah Araghi said more attacks are coming after a strike on US bases failed to kill anyone, while air force commander Amir Ali Hajizadeh (pictured) said Iran was ready to kill up to 5,000 Americans.

American soldiers were either flown out of the al-Asad base (left) by 11pm on Tuesday local time or were sheltering in bunkers - waiting until the missiles fell at around 1:30am on Wednesday.

Four Iraqi soldiers were wounded in the attack, two military sources told Reuters. The military sources said the mortar bombs fell on a runway inside the base.

Jerry Holliman, 69, says he was exposed to Agent Orange, has battled cancer and diabetes and that he's now stuck in a Mississippi veterans home feeling abandoned by his country.

No coalition troops were injured in the Soviet-made Katyusha rocket attack on Camp Taji north of Baghdad on Tuesday night.

Three rockets slammed into the US embassy in Iraq's capital on Sunday in the first direct hit reported after months of close calls, as thousands kept up anti-government sit-ins across the country.

Andrew Demma, an Iraq War veteran who served a one-day prison sentence for child porn charges, will be re-sentenced in Dayton, Ohio. Federal officials say the conviction was 'unreasonably low.'

Diane Douglas 'completely broke down' when she discovered a massive metal container had been dumped on the grave of her son Allan, who was shot dead in Iraq, at Dyce Cemetery in Aberdeen.

Lance Corporal Bernard Mongan, 33, was found dead in his room at Catterick Garrison, North Yorkshire. His body was so severely decomposed that his cause of death may never be established.

As part of his bid to become the next Labour leader, Sir Keir Starmer has made political capital out of his legal career by highlighting the cases he has pursued on behalf of the 'underdog'.

'The president (left) this morning made a series of obviously false statements concerning Lt Col Vindman (right),' Vindman's lawyer, Ambassador David Pressman, said.

Grace Campbell, 25, whose Yorkshire-born father Alastair served as the Downing Street press secretary, told Sunday Mirror Notebook she's spent her life competing for her dad's attention.

STEPHEN GLOVER: It concerns the kidnapping of a young woman on a British street, and the subsequent connivance of the Labour government in this unlawful act...

Peter McAleese (pictured serving in the South African Defence Force) joined the British Army aged 17 and became a 'gun for hire' after nine years of service to recapture the 'buzz'.

A series of photographs taken in recent days from Libya to Singapore show deserted streets after governments across the world shut down borders to contain the deadly coronavirus.

Archaeologists have uncovered a sacred plaza in Iraq that was used to appease Ningirsu - a hero-god of war. Some 5,000 years ago, where people held feasts, rituals and animal sacrifices in the pit.

Kourtney Kardashian revealed in a Q & A with Rose Inc. that she feels most desirable when she's totally naked. The Keeping Up With The Kardashians star appreciated her body, 'Tiger stripes and all.'

The 39-year-old KUWTK reality star simply captioned her slideshow: 'Hey!'

Kim Kardashian show her 162 million followers her preferred method of greeting to stop the coronavirus spread, a foot tap. However, the method may not be supported by health professionals.

Kim Kardashian shared a tweet sent to her by her sister Kourtney featuring a passage written by the late psychic Sylvia Browne that some have suggested pointed toward the coronavirus years ago.

Kim said in the video: 'She made a quarantined section for Kim and Kanye.' She then revealed some rag doll versions of herself and Kanye sitting at a tiny table with a bottle of hand sanitizer.

With schools moving to online learning, libraries closed, sports called off and enrichment classes cancelled, not to mention the social distancing movement, it's time to get creative.

Khloe Kardashian has always been the most outgoing Kardashian member, so it was no surprise she made some new friends during a wine tour in Napa.

Khloe Kardashian cuddled with one-year-old daughter True in matching white satin pajamas amid the social distancing recommendation in the wake of coronoavirus pandemic.

The 39-year-old captioned the photo of Psalm, 10 months, sucking his thumb: 'My baby boy is so handsome and sweet.'

The Keeping Up With the Kardashians star shared some sultry photos from a photoshoot she did back in 2018.

The 35-year-old reality star has been best friends with the 37-year-old new mother since 1999, so she was thrilled to become an 'auntie'

Kim Kardashian is one of many celebs who are taking the coronavirus pandemic very seriously.