US PRESIDENT Donald Trump threatened to impose severe sanctions on Iraq after its parliament voted to demand US troops based there leave the country in the wake of the Soleimani assassination.

He insisted that US forces would not be leaving the country, despite Sunday’s non-binding vote, which was initiated by the parliament’s Shia Muslim bloc, traditionally close to Iran.

“We have a very extraordinarily expensive air base that’s there. It cost billions of dollars to build. We’re not leaving unless they pay us back for it,” Mr Trump said.

The belligerent billionaire also promised to punish Iraq if it pressed ahead with plans to shut down US military bases.

“We will charge them sanctions like they’ve never seen before, ever. It’ll make Iranian sanctions look somewhat tame,” he told reporters.

The US has at least 5,000 troops based in Iraq. It pulled out of the country in 2011 before being invited back in 2014 after jihadists took control of large swathes of the country.

Sunday’s vote called for Baghdad to terminate that agreement, signed four years ago, which allowed for the US presence as part of a coalition fighting Isis.

The Bill has the support of the outgoing Prime Minister of Iraq Abdel Abdul Mahdi, who explained that the country has two choices following the vote: end the presence of foreign troops in Iraq or restrict their mission to train Iraqi forces.

In a speech to parliament he called for “urgent measures” to remove foreign forces from the country.

It was unclear whether the US would comply with the request to leave Iraq. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Washington was monitoring the situation.