Finland had advance warning of strike: Report

Finland's defense forces say they received advance warning of the Iranian missile strike against bases in Iraq used by US troops.

The defense forces gave no details Wednesday, Finnish newspaper Ilta-Sanomat reported.

They added that Finnish troops at the base in Irbil that was targeted were were protected in a bomb shelter and were not hurt. Irbil is the capital of Iraq's self-governing Kurdish region.

British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab has condemned the Iranian missile strike against bases hosting coalition forces in Iraq and urged Iran to refrain from further military action.

The Ministry of Defense said on Wednesday there were no British casualties in the attack launched in retaliation for the US drone strike that killed Iran's top Revolutionary Guard commander, Gen. Qassem Soleimani, in Baghdad last week.

US officials have said there are no immediate reports of US casualties.

"We urge Iran not to repeat these reckless and dangerous attacks, and instead to pursue urgent de-escalation,'' Raab said. A war in the Middle East would only benefit Daesh (the Islamic State group) and other terrorist groups.

Coalition forces are in Iraq to train local forces to fight the extremists.

Tom Tugenhat, the chairman of the defense committee during the previous Parliament, told the BBC it would be "extremely welcome" if Iran's action marked the end of tensions and both sides could get back to talking."