Former President Donald Trump cemented his status as the clear frontrunner after a resounding win in Iowa, with Ron DeSantis a distant second place and Nikki Haley in third.
Whoever wins the Republican nomination will face a Democrat, almost certainly President Joe Biden, in the November presidential election.
It's an election being watched not just in the US but around the world, says BBC US correspondent Katty Kay.
The US is currently involved in two hot wars, Ukraine and Gaza. Meanwhile, US-China relations have deteriorated and tensions in the Asia Pacific region have risen.
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