President Donald Trump announced Wednesday that the United States suffered no casualties from the Iranian missile attacks the previous evening and said the days of tolerating military aggression from Tehran are over. “As long as I’m president of the United States, Iran will never be allowed to have a nuclear weapon,” Trump said as he began his remarks from the White House.
The president then addressed the missile attacks from the previous evening, which were directed at military posts housing Americans in Iraq, including 1o hitting the Ain al-Asad Air Base and one striking a U.S. military base in Erbil in northern Iraq.
“No Americans were harmed in last night’s attack by the Iranian regime,” Trump said. “We suffered no casualties. All of our soldiers are safe and only minimal damages were sustained at our military bases.”
“Iran appears to be standing down, which is a good thing for all parties concerned,” he added.
“For far too long — all the way back to 1979, to be exact — nations have tolerated Iran’s destructive and destabilizing behavior in the Middle East and beyond,” the president said. “Those days are over.”
The commander in chief also reiterated his reasons for directing the killing of Iranian Quds Force commander Gen. Qassem Soleimani, saying the general had killed or wounded thousands of U.S. troops.
“In recent days he was planning new attacks on American targets, but we stopped him,” Trump said.
“Soleimani’s hands were drenched in both American and Iranian blood. He should have been terminated long ago,” he said.
Trump announced he would be imposing new sanctions on Iran in light of its recent aggressive behavior, including using proxies to strike U.S. forces in Iraq, seizing ships in the Persian Gulf, attacking a Saudi Arabian oil field and shooting down U.S. drones.
The president further urged the signatories of the Iran nuclear deal — the United Kingdom, Russia, Germany, France, China — to end it so a new agreement could be negotiated.
Trump announced the U.S. withdrawal from the deal — negotiated in 2015 during the administration of President Barack Obama — in May 2018.
He said Wednesday that Iran used the $150 billion it gained through the deal, as well as the $1.8 billion in cash shipped to the regime by Obama, to go on a “terror spree” in the Middle East.
“The missiles fired last night at us and our allies were paid for with the funds made available by the last administration,” the president said.
He closed his remarks by addressing “the people and leaders of Iran,” saying, “We want you to have a future and a great future — one that you deserve, one of prosperity at home and harmony with the nations of the world. The United States is ready to embrace peace with all who seek it.”
Reuters reported, “After the attack on U.S. bases Tuesday night, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said that ballistic missile attacks targeting U.S. military and coalition forces in Iraq Wednesday morning were ‘a slap in the face’ to the United States.”
Khamenei also called for the U.S to leave the region, saying, “Military action like this is not sufficient. What is important is ending the corrupting presence of America in the region.”
Following the attacks last night, Trump tweeted, “All is well! Missiles launched from Iran at two military bases located in Iraq. 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!”
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