BAGHDAD/WASHINGTON/DUBAI (92 News/Reuters) - US President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that no US troops hurt in Iranian missile strikes on bases in Iraq.
While addressing to the nation, the US president maintained that the Iranian missiles had not harmed any US troops stationed there and damage was minimal, an outcome he said showed Tehran wanted to de-escalate a standoff.
It is noteworthy that in the early today morning, Iranian forces fired missiles at military bases housing US troops in Iraq saying it was in retaliation for the killing in a US drone strike of powerful Iranian commander Qassem Soleimani on January 3.
“No US army troops were harmed in last night’s attack by the Iranian regime. We suffered no casualties. All of our soldiers are safe and only minimal damage was sustained at our military bases,” he explained.
“Our great US forces are prepared for anything. Iran appears to be standing down, which is a good thing for all parties concerned and a very good thing for the world,” Trump said.
“The fact that we have this great military and equipment, however, does not mean we have to use it. We do not want to use it,” the US president said.
He also urged world powers to quit a 2015 nuclear accord with Iran that Washington withdrew from in 2018 and work for a new deal, an issue that has been at the heart of rising tension between Washington and Tehran. Iran has rejected new talks.
During his address, the US president was flanked by Vice President Mike Pence, Defence Secretary Mark Esper and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and military officers.
On Wednesday morning, Iran had launched a missile attack on US-led forces in Iraq in retaliation for the US drone strike on an Iranian commander whose killing has raised fears of a wider war in the Middle East.
After the Irani strike, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali
Khamenei said that Tehran’s missile attacks on US targets in Iraq were “a slap on the face” for the United States and it should now pull its forces out of the region.
Iran said it launched more than dozen missiles against US targets on Wednesday in retaliation for the killing of Iranian commander Qassem Soleimani in a US drone strike last week.
“Military action like this is not sufficient. What is important is ending the corrupting presence of America in the region,” Khamenei said in a televised speech, describing the missile strikes as a “slap on the face” for Washington.
“This region will not accept the presence of America,” he said, renewing Tehran’s long-standing demand for Washington to withdraw its forces.
