Missile attacks 'a slap on the face' of US, says Iran's Supreme Leader

The strikes against US bases in Iraq were "successful" and a "slap on the face" of the United States, Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said on Wednesday.

In a televised address broadcast on Iranian state TV, Khamenei called on American troops to leave the region.

"Military action like this is not sufficient. What is important is ending the corrupting presence of America in the region," Khamenei was quoted by Al-Arabiya as saying while ruling out resumption of dialogue with the US over the 2015 nuclear deal.

The Supreme Leader also said that the US was trying to remove Lebanon's Hezbollah group in its bid to help Israel.

Early on Wednesday, Iran launched more than a dozen missiles on US targets in Iraq -- first at the Ain Al-Asad airbase in Anbar province and another one at Erbil, which falls in the Kurdistan region.

The strikes came hours after the funeral of Iranian commander Qassem Soleimani, whose killing in a US air raid last week has intensified tensions in the Gulf region.

Countries including the UK have condemned Iran's strikes and have urged Tehran to pursue urgent de-escalation.

Several international airlines, including Singapore Airlines and Air France, have decided to avoid flying over the region, in view of the prevailing situation.