President Donald Trump said Wednesday that Iran appears to be “standing down” and said no Americans or Iraqis were harmed in Iran’s Tuesday ballistic missile strike on two Iraqi bases housing United States troops.
Speaking from the foyer of the White House, Trump announced that the US will immediately place new sanctions on Iran “until Iran changes its behaviour.”
He defended his targeted killing last week of General Qassem Soleimani, the head of Iran’s elite Quds Force.
He added that Americans should be “extremely grateful and happy” with the outcome.
Trump reiterated his position that “Iran will never be allowed to have a nuclear weapon” and called for new nuclear negotiations to replace the 2015 nuclear deal from which he withdrew the US.
Trump also announced he would ask NATO to become “much more involved in the Middle East process.”
Iran’s attack was its most brazen direct assault on America since the 1979 seizing of the US Embassy in Tehran.
The strikes pushed Tehran and Washington perilously close to war and put the world’s attention on Trump as he weighs whether to respond with more military force.
