President Donald Trump: Iran appears to be standing down after missile attacks

President Trump addresses the nation on rising tensions between the U.S. and Iran after a missile attack.

President Donald Trump said Wednesday that Iran “appears to be standing down” after it fired a barrage of missiles at American targets in Iraq in retaliation for the U.S. killing of Gen. Qasem Soleimani.

But the U.S. is continuing to look at its options, and will “immediately impose additional punishing economic sanctions on the Iranian regime,” Trump said.

He also warned Tehran repeatedly to abandon its nuclear ambitions, vowing: “As long as I am president of the United States, Iran will never be allowed to have a nuclear weapon.”

But he suggested that the U.S. is open to negotiations with Tehran. “We must all work together toward making a deal with Iran that makes the world a safer and more peaceful place,” Trump said. He urged other world powers to break away from the Obama-era nuclear agreement with Iran and work out a new deal.

The president, speaking from the grand foyer of the White House, said no Americans were harmed in Iran’s overnight attacks on two Iraqi bases that house U.S. forces.

Trump defended his administration’s decision last week to kill Soleimani, saying the general’s “hands were drenched in both American and Iranian blood.”

Hours later at the Pentagon, the U.S. military’s top general told reporters that Iran fired the missiles with the intent “to kill personnel.”

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley praised early warning systems, which detected the incoming ballistic missiles well in advance, giving U.S. and coalition forces adequate time to take shelter at both bases.

He described the damage to tents, parking lots and a helicopter, among other things, as “nothing major.”

“He should have been terminated long ago,” Trump said.

Trump was flanked by Vice President Mike Pence, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Defense Secretary Mark Esper and the top officers of the nation’s military branches. He spoke for about 10 minutes and took no questions.

Iran launched at least a dozen missiles from its territory Tuesday evening at two military bases in Iraq that house U.S. military and coalition forces.

The Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps described the attacks as the beginning of their “fierce revenge” against the U.S. Late last week, a U.S. airstrike in Baghdad killed Soleimani, whom the Trump administration claims had planned attacks that were “days” away from execution.

In a speech following the missile attacks, Iran supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei called the barrage a “slap on the face” to the U.S.

“Such military actions are not enough,” Khamenei tweeted.

But Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif took a different tone, tweeting that his country “took and concluded proportionate measures” against the killing of Soleimani while adding that “We do not seek escalation or war, but will defend ourselves against any aggression.”

After the attacks Tuesday night, Trump did not make a formal address — but said in a tweet that “all is well!”

“Missiles launched from Iran at two military bases located in Iraq,” Trump tweeted. “Assessment of casualties & damages taking place now. So far, so good! We have the most powerful and well equipped military anywhere in the world, by far! I will be making a statement tomorrow morning.”

Hours before the Iranian missile attacks, Esper said the U.S. was not seeking war with Iran.

“We are not looking to start a war with Iran, but we are prepared to finish one,” Esper said, adding that Washington wants to see the situation de-escalate.

Earlier Tuesday, Pompeo said the U.S. “got it right” by killing Soleimani.

“It was the right decision,” Pompeo said at the State Department. “The Department of Defense did excellent work. And the president had an entirely legal, appropriate and a basis as well as a decision that fit perfectly within our strategy in how to counter the threat of malign activity from Iran more broadly.”



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