Iran fires 15 missiles targeting US forces in Iraq

A deadly stampede in Iran [Forward to a friend]( | [Subscribe]( | [View in your browser]( [Top of The World]( Iran fired more than a dozen missiles at US targets in Iraq in retaliation for the US killing of top Iranian commander Qasem Soleimani. And a Ukrainian Airlines flight crashed just after takeoff from an airport in the Iranian capital of Tehran killing 176 people onboard. Also, an ecologist in Australia estimates that a billion wild animals have been killed as a result of the devastating fires. --------------------------------------------------------------- In the news today Iran fired missiles targeting US forces in Iraq [What is said to be missiles are seen in the night sky, after Iran fired missiles on at least two Iraqi air bases.]( Credit: Iran handout via Reuters Iranian forces fired 15 ballistic missiles targeting US forces in Iraq at al-Asad air base and another facility in Erbil this morning. Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said the missile strike, [which caused no American or Iraqi casualties](, was in retaliation for the US killing of top Iranian commander Qasem Soleimani in Baghdad last week. Tehran's foreign minister said Iran took "proportionate measures" in self-defense and did not seek to escalate the confrontation. US President Donald Trump gave an initial response on Twitter: "[All is well!](" and is scheduled to make a statement this morning. For updates on the retaliation strike, [follow the live coverage from our partners at the BBC](. Explainer: [What were the bases attacked?]( Timeline: [Escalating conflict with Iran]( --------------------------------------------------------------- Do you have a smart speaker? Listen to The World's new show called [The Number in the News](! We produce The Number in the News daily from our studio in Boston. Host Bianca Hillier will tell you one number you won’t forget and why it’s the news today. Add The Number in the News to your Amazon or Google news briefing. Killing Soleimani was a ‘hasty’ decision, says former defense undersecretary In the wake of the airstrike that killed Iranian Maj. Gen. Qasem Soleimani, The World’s host Marco Werman spoke with the former undersecretary of defense for policy, Michèle Flournoy, who said Trump's decision-making and the vetting of information doesn't have a normal process. “The deputies rarely meet and the principals rarely meet,” [Flournoy said](. “Very serious decisions are brought to the president without a whole lot of vetting and exploration of second- and third-order consequences. So, they clearly presented a set of tactical options to him. Either the strategic consequences weren't explored and explained or he didn't care to listen to that. He made a pretty hasty decision and now we're living with the consequences of that.” Ukraine Airlines crashes in Iran killing all aboard [Red Crescent workers check the debris from the Ukraine International Airlines plane, that crashed after take-off from Iran's Imam Khomeini airport, on the outskirts of Tehran, Iran, Jan. 8, 2020.]( Credit: Nazanin Tabatabaee/WANA via Reuters An airliner from Ukraine International Airlines [crashed shortly after takeoff from Tehran]( early this morning, bursting into flames and killing all 176 people on board. The aircraft, a Boeing 737-800 model, was last serviced two days ago. The 737-800 is one of the world’s most-flown aircraft with a good safety record and does not have the software feature implicated in 737-MAX planes involved in previous crashes. The accident occurred as the confrontation between Iran and the US threatens to trigger a wider conflict in the Middle East, but officials cautioned that speculation about the cause of the crash was premature. 1 billion animals have died in Australian bushfires Australian firefighters used a break from searing temperatures yesterday to strengthen containment lines around huge wildfires in the south east of the country. More than 25.5 million acres of land — an area the size of South Korea — have been razed by bushfires in recent weeks and have killed at least 24 people. But wild animals have fared much worse. Ecologist Chris Dickman [stunned people recently with his estimate]( that as many as 1 billion animals have been killed. And: [Economic impact of Australia's bushfires set to exceed $4.4 billion]( --------------------------------------------------------------- Morning meme If reading the news has you looking like this … [Yoda] just watch these pups [chase each other in the snow](. Reuters contributed to this newsletter. --------------------------------------------------------------- In case you missed it on The World - [Is the national security process working?]( - [The rowing brothers]( - [Amazon women of all ages found together]( - [The green sweater]( - [Quakes rock Puerto Rico]( - [Building a better plastic]( - [Veganism ruled a philosophical belief protected by law]( - [US companies, government brace from cyberattacks from Iran]( - [White House perspective from US ambassador]( - [European reaction to US-Iran tension]( Don't forget to subscribe to The World's Latest Edition podcast using your favorite podcast player: [RadioPublic](, [Apple Podcasts](, [Stitcher](, [Soundcloud](, [RSS]( [The World logo]( [The World on Facebook]( [The World's Twitter account]( [Donate]( | [Forward to a friend]( | [Subscribe]( | [Edit your subscription]( | [Unsubscribe]( | [View in your browser]( Top of the World is written weekday mornings by the team at [The World](. 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