Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, has once again vigorously defended the terrorist-style assassination of Iranian Quds force General Qassem Soleimani.

In his first Prime Minister�s Questions since Parliament returned from its Christmas break, Johnson repeated the unsubstantiated claim that General Soleimani had the blood of British troops on his hands.

Johnson clashed fiercely with opposition leader, Jeremy Corbyn, who once again questioned the legality of the US drone strike which killed General Soleimani outside Baghdad airport on January 03.

I think most reasonable people would accept that the United States has the right to protect its bases and its personnel, Johnson said.

Following the exchange in Parliament, Corbyn�s spokesman made the following statement in response to Johnson�s claims: Since the assassination of senior officials, generals, or ministers of internationally recognised governments is, on the face of it, entirely illegal in international law, that defence - the defence of an imminent threat - has to be made public for there to be any question of there being legality around it.

No such evidence has been forthcoming and, on the face of it, it�s hard to see how that would be the case, the spokesman added.

British leaders and officials have wholeheartedly bought into the unsubstantiated US claims that General Soleimani was planning attacks against US interests just before he was assassinated.

Critics have accused the Tory government of exploiting the crisis in the Middle East to get closer to the Trump Administration in the US in the hope of securing a favourable trade deal once the UK exits the European Union at the end of this month.