Iran war major escalation as two top Tehran leaders 'killed' by Israel and US President Donald Trump unleashes another crude verbal volley against British Prime Minister Keir Starmer

British troops have intercepted the most drones they have shot down since they began defending against Iranian attacks in the American-Israeli war on Tehran. At least five Kamikaze killer drones are believed to have been shot down by UK forces in Iraq after Iranian troops targeted their military base in Iraqi Kurdistan.

It comes just days after drones hit the coalition base in the Iraqi city of Erbil, the capital of the Kurdistan region, injuring a number of US troops. There were no British casualties in either attack. And UK Typhoon and F-35B warplanes have continued defensive patrols over Qatar, Bahrain, the UAE, Jordan and the Eastern Mediterranean.

It is the latest escalation in the war as Israel ’s military claimed it killed Tehran’s most senior security chief Ali Larijani in fresh strikes on the Iranian regime. His killing, if confirmed, will be the biggest hit claimed by the US-Israeli coalition since the death of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei at the beginning of the war.

Larijani was the powerful secretary of Iran’s national Security Council and represented the slain Ayatollah within the organisation. He also advised the Ayatollah and was Iran’s chief nuclear negotiator between 2005 and 2007.

The Israeli Defence Force claimed it had also killed Gholamreza Soleimani, who headed up the ruthless paramilitary militia the Basij. The Basij is a large unit within the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps made up of some 200,000 paramilitaries with bases in every city in Iran and has been accused of human rights abuses.

They are believed to have been behind many of the tens of thousands of deaths of opposition protesters involved in anti-government rallies across Iran. The claimed Iranian leadership deaths came hours before US President Donald Trump again slammed UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer for refusing to provide military assistance in freeing up the Strait of Hormuz.

During a White House audience with Irish Prime Minister Michael Martin, President Trump said: “I am disappointed with Keir Starmer. Unfortunately Keir is no Winston Churchill.” At least 2,000 people have now died in the US-Israeli war on Iran, with no end in sight as Trump considers deploying ground forces.

He has signed off the deployment of 5,000 marines, possibly for a ‘boots on the ground’ operation to help open up the Strait of Hormuz. The key oil route off Iran has been blocked with the threat of Iranian missiles after vessels were targeted by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

Trump earlier slammed U.S. allies in Europe as NATO members are not giving in to the president's demands to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Trump said: "I think NATO is making a very foolish mistake. And I've long said that, you know, I wonder whether or not NATO would ever be there for us.

“So this was a great test, because we don’t need them, but they should have been there." He added, "We've had great support from countries in the Middle East, great support, but we've had no support from, essentially no support from NATO." In Iran Israeli and American strikes have killed more than 1,200 people, according to the Iranian Red Crescent Society.

At least 850 people have been killed in Lebanon, and 13 have died in Israel. Thirteen U.S. service members have been killed, and two more died of non-combat causes.

It came after more Iranian strikes hit US-linked targets in Iraq as America’s embassy in Baghdad’s heavily-fortified “green zone” was struck. Three drones and four rockets targeted the building as pro-Iranian militia attempted to overwhelm air defences in the fortified green zone.

It is the second strike on the diplomatic quarter in days but sources said it was the most intense since the attacks began.” Iran claims peace overtures have been made by the US via back channels but has responded defiantly saying: “Its not the right time for peace. The US must pay compensation.”

And Iranian officials say Motjaba Khamenei, the leader who has not been seen since the beginning the war, has rejected any suggestion of ending the war. Israel has hammered Beirut, the Lebanese capital with air-strikes as it tries to stop Hezbollah missile attacks in support of Iran.