PROTESTERS across the world are mobilising against war as tensions between the US and Iran intensified after the former’s assassination of an Iranian general.

The rallies followed the launch of US air strikes near Baghdad airport on Friday which killed seven people including Qasem Soleimani, head of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard’s Quds Force.

Major General Hossein Dehghan, military adviser to Iran’s Supreme Leader, said today that Tehran’s response to the killing would “for sure be military.”

President Donald Trump, who has ordered another 3,000 troops to Kuwait, has said “Iran itself will be hit very fast and very hard” if it retaliates.

In London, a Stop the War demonstration outside Downing Street called for the British government to stand against Mr Trump in his threats of more US aggression in the Middle East. 

Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament general secretary Kate Hudson told the Downing Street rally on Saturday that the US is seeking to “destroy the regime in Iran” in order to “put back their own puppets.”

She said: “Trump’s assassination of Soleimani is a reckless act of war — summary executions are illegal under international law.

“This attack and US withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal bring us closer to a catastrophic war, and make nuclear proliferation more likely.”

In his speech, shadow justice secretary Richard Burgon urged the government to use its “political and diplomatic weight” to get the nuclear deal between Iran and the US “back on track.”

Shadow chancellor John McDonnell said during the rally: “It’s not good enough for the government just to appeal for a de-escalation.

“What we expect the government to do is to come out in total and outright condemnation of this act of violence.”

Another protest outside the US embassy in London took place today.

And as part of the global backlash of condemnation more than 80 demos took place in the US against Mr Trump’s act of war.

More than 1,000 protesters rallied outside the White House in Washington, while in New York marchers chanted: “US out of the Middle East!” The Trump Tower in Chicago was surrounded by crowds with placards reading “Stop Bombing Iraq.”

PM Boris Johnson has been criticised for his silence over the US’s fatal strike as he continues to enjoy his long New Year trip to the private island of Mustique with partner Carrie Symonds.

Mr Johnson was expected to arrive back in Downing Street today and has been under mounting pressure from opposition parties to make a statement on the killing of Soleimani.

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said: “Boris Johnson should have immediately cut short his holiday to deal with an issue that could have grave consequences for the UK and the world.”

Ed Davey, acting leader of the Liberal Democrats, described Mr Johnson’s silence as “deafening.”

In Mr Johnson’s absence, Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab called for de-escalation of tensions between Iran and the US but went on to make excuses for the US in claiming that it had the “right to defend itself.”