'Minimal damage' in missile attack hints at Iran’s desire to de-escalate: Trump
US president says Washington ready to work with Tehran on shared priorities including fight against Islamic State
US president says ready to work with Iran on shared priorities including fight against Islamic State. PHOTO: REUTERS
WASHINGTON:
Donald Trump said on Wednesday Iranian missile strikes on bases in Iraq had not harmed any US troops stationed there and damage was minimal, an outcome he said showed Tehran wanted to de-escalate a standoff.
Iranian forces fired missiles at military bases housing US troops in Iraq early on Wednesday, saying it was in retaliation for the killing in a US drone strike of powerful Iranian commander Qassem Soleimani on Jan. 3.
"No Americans 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," Trump said in an address to the nation at the White House.
He also expressed his administration’s willingness to leave behind recent military standoff with Iran and work with the archrivals on shared priorities including fight against Islamic State – the common enemy.
He said United States would embrace peace with all who seek it.
“Our great American 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.”
As he spoke, the US president was flanked by Vice President Mike Pence, Defense Secretary Mark Esper and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and military officers.
Trump said the United States would immediately be imposing "additional punishing sanctions" on Iran but made no mention of military retaliation to the missile attacks – seen by experts as a measured first response by Iran to the killing of General Qasem Soleimani in an American drone strike in Baghdad.
Launched for the first time by forces inside Iran instead of a proxy, the missile attack marked a new turn in the intensifying confrontation between Washington and Tehran and sent world oil prices soaring.
Trump touted economic achievements that he said had made the US less dependent on Middle Eastern oil, changing Washington's "strategic priorities" in the region.
"Today I am going to ask NATO to become much more involved in the Middle East process," he said.
He also called for world powers to follow his lead in withdrawing last May from the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran.
The agreement is already unraveling, with Tehran announcing on Sunday that it would roll back the limit on the number of centrifuges used in uranium enrichment, one of its commitments under the agreement.
"The time has come for the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Russia, and China to recognise this reality. They must now break away from the remnants of the Iran deal, or JCPOA," Trump said.
"We must all work together towards making a deal with Iran that makes the world a safer and more peaceful place."
Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who earlier on Wednesday addressed a gathering of Iranians chanting "Death to America", said Iran's attacks were a "slap on the face" of the United States and said US troops should leave the region.
Tehran's foreign minister said Iran took "proportionate measures" in self-defence and did not seek an escalation.
Trump's reaction in the immediate aftermath of the attacks had been to say on Twitter that "All is well!" and that Washington was assessing damage. Trump's early tweet and the comment by Iran's foreign minister had acted to soothe some initial concerns about a wider war and calmed jittery financial markets.
US and European government sources said they believed Iran had deliberately sought to avoid US military casualties in its missile strikes to prevent an escalation.
Earlier on Wednesday, an Iranian army spokesman had denied "foreign media reports" suggesting there had been some kind of coordination between Iran and the United States before the attack to allow bases to be evacuated, Fars news agency said.
The US president, who was impeached last month and faces an election this year, had at the weekend threatened to target 52 Iranian sites if Iran retaliated for Soleimani's killing.
Iranian state television said Iran had fired 15 ballistic missiles from its territory at US targets in its neighbor Iraq early on Wednesday.
The Pentagon said al-Asad air base and another facility in Erbil were struck. Iranian state television had said 80 "American terrorists" had been killed and US helicopters and military equipment had been damaged. But it did not say how it obtained that information.
Germany, Denmark, Norway and Poland said none of their troops in Iraq were hurt. Britain, which also has personnel in Iraq, condemned the Iranian action and said Tehran "should not repeat these reckless and dangerous attacks".
Iraq said its forces did not suffer casualties. More than 5,000 US troops remain in Iraq along with the other foreign forces in a coalition that has trained and backed Iraqis against the threat of Islamic State militants.
(With additional input from News Desk)
Donald Trump said on Wednesday Iranian missile strikes on bases in Iraq had not harmed any US troops stationed there and damage was minimal, an outcome he said showed Tehran wanted to de-escalate a standoff.
Iranian forces fired missiles at military bases housing US troops in Iraq early on Wednesday, saying it was in retaliation for the killing in a US drone strike of powerful Iranian commander Qassem Soleimani on Jan. 3.
"No Americans 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," Trump said in an address to the nation at the White House.
He also expressed his administration’s willingness to leave behind recent military standoff with Iran and work with the archrivals on shared priorities including fight against Islamic State – the common enemy.
He said United States would embrace peace with all who seek it.
“Our great American 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.”
As he spoke, the US president was flanked by Vice President Mike Pence, Defense Secretary Mark Esper and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and military officers.
Trump said the United States would immediately be imposing "additional punishing sanctions" on Iran but made no mention of military retaliation to the missile attacks – seen by experts as a measured first response by Iran to the killing of General Qasem Soleimani in an American drone strike in Baghdad.
Launched for the first time by forces inside Iran instead of a proxy, the missile attack marked a new turn in the intensifying confrontation between Washington and Tehran and sent world oil prices soaring.
Trump touted economic achievements that he said had made the US less dependent on Middle Eastern oil, changing Washington's "strategic priorities" in the region.
"Today I am going to ask NATO to become much more involved in the Middle East process," he said.
He also called for world powers to follow his lead in withdrawing last May from the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran.
The agreement is already unraveling, with Tehran announcing on Sunday that it would roll back the limit on the number of centrifuges used in uranium enrichment, one of its commitments under the agreement.
"The time has come for the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Russia, and China to recognise this reality. They must now break away from the remnants of the Iran deal, or JCPOA," Trump said.
"We must all work together towards making a deal with Iran that makes the world a safer and more peaceful place."
Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who earlier on Wednesday addressed a gathering of Iranians chanting "Death to America", said Iran's attacks were a "slap on the face" of the United States and said US troops should leave the region.
Tehran's foreign minister said Iran took "proportionate measures" in self-defence and did not seek an escalation.
Trump's reaction in the immediate aftermath of the attacks had been to say on Twitter that "All is well!" and that Washington was assessing damage. Trump's early tweet and the comment by Iran's foreign minister had acted to soothe some initial concerns about a wider war and calmed jittery financial markets.
US and European government sources said they believed Iran had deliberately sought to avoid US military casualties in its missile strikes to prevent an escalation.
Earlier on Wednesday, an Iranian army spokesman had denied "foreign media reports" suggesting there had been some kind of coordination between Iran and the United States before the attack to allow bases to be evacuated, Fars news agency said.
The US president, who was impeached last month and faces an election this year, had at the weekend threatened to target 52 Iranian sites if Iran retaliated for Soleimani's killing.
Iranian state television said Iran had fired 15 ballistic missiles from its territory at US targets in its neighbor Iraq early on Wednesday.
The Pentagon said al-Asad air base and another facility in Erbil were struck. Iranian state television had said 80 "American terrorists" had been killed and US helicopters and military equipment had been damaged. But it did not say how it obtained that information.
Germany, Denmark, Norway and Poland said none of their troops in Iraq were hurt. Britain, which also has personnel in Iraq, condemned the Iranian action and said Tehran "should not repeat these reckless and dangerous attacks".
Iraq said its forces did not suffer casualties. More than 5,000 US troops remain in Iraq along with the other foreign forces in a coalition that has trained and backed Iraqis against the threat of Islamic State militants.
(With additional input from News Desk)