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Iran crisis: US to send thousands more troops to Middle East as Tehran vows 'severe revenge' – live Trump defends killing of Suleimani: 'We did not take action to start a war' – live
(32 minutes later)
Follow for live updates as the world reacts to news of US drone strike ordered by Donald Trump on Iranian general Qassem Suleimani in Baghdad President makes first public statement since assassination of Iran’s top general and says he will take ‘whatever action is necessary’ – follow live
Here is more of the short statement Trump delivered on the Suelimani strike moments ago at Mar-a-Lago:
“As president my highest and most solemn duty is the defense of our nation and its citizens. Last night, at my direction, the United States military successfully executed a flawless precision strike that killed the number one terrorist anywhere in the world, Qassem Soleimani. Soleimani was plotting imminent and sinister attacks on American diplomats and military personnel, but we caught him in the act and terminated him.
“Under my leadership America’s policy is unambiguous to terrorists who harm or intend to harm any American. We will find you. We will eliminate you. ...
“Today we remember and honor the victims of Soleimani’s many atrocities and we take comfort in knowing that his reign of terror is over. Soleimani has been perpetrating acts of terror to destabilize the Middle East for the last 20 years. What the United States did yesterday should have been done long ago. ...
“America will always pursue the interests of good people, great people, great souls, while seeking peace, harmony and friendship with all of the nations of the world.”
In his statement on the Suleimani strike, Trump praised the work of the intelligence agencies that he has previously criticized as part of a “deep state” seeking to undermine his presidency.
On top of that, US officials have offered few details about the imminent attack Suleimani was allegedly plotting against American forces, leading some of the president’s critics to raise doubts about the veracity of the claim.
Interestingly, the president’s team called the White House press pool back to Mar-a-Lago after the reporters had already left for the airport to travel to Trump’s event in Miami tonight.
Once the press pool returned to the Florida resort, the president delivered his short statement on the Suleimani strike.
Donald Trump will appear at a Miami megachurch later this afternoon intending to bolster his standing with evangelical Christians. But among the lines of supporters waiting to get in, last night’s US military strike in Baghdad was a more popular topic of conversation.
“We can get anybody, anywhere, anytime, anywhere there is terrorism,” said Michael David Layne, 62, a US Army veteran and Trump supporter from Miami, who attends the King Jesus international ministry in West Kendall where Trump is expected to deliver remarks at 5pm ET.
Praising the president for taking “strong action,” Layne said the death of Iranian general Qassem Suleimani would help prevent future bloodshed. “This wasn’t just about last night or this morning, it’s to prevent things all around the world. There’s a lot of confusion in the world, a lot of things going on.” He also believes Trump’s Christian values helped to guide him ordering of the strike. “He might be a little rough around the edges for some people, but he says it like it is, and if some of things he says or the actions he takes upset some people it doesn’t make him less of a man of God.”
Trump’s “congregation” of around 7,000 this afternoon is heavily Hispanic, reflecting the make up of the Miami church where the Latino pastor, Guillermo Maldonado, delivers services in English and Spanish. Maldonado, a Trump loyalist who has prayed with the president at the White House, raised eyebrows in a weekend sermon when he assured immigrant parishioners in the US without papers that they would not be at risk of detention or deportation if they attended today. It makes it likely that a president whose hard-line anti-immigrant position has led to the deportation of thousands of immigrants will be counting among his supporters some of those he has demonized through policies and actions.
There were also a handful of demonstrators outside the church, which was playing soft gospel music over loudspeakers to the waiting faithful. Francisco Morales, 47, traveled 30 miles to the event from Fort Lauderdale with placards highlighting the 10 Commandments he says Trump has violated.
“He’s everything a Christian shouldn’t be. He’s about money and himself, he uses God’s word to his benefit, he doesn’t respect Christian holidays, he insults everyone. And he dishonors his wife, his daughter and all women,” Morales said.
In his short statement to reporters, Trump specifically said the US is not seeking “regime change” in Iran after the killing of general Qassem Suleimani.
But just hours after the strike was carried out, the president’s former national security adviser, John Bolton, expressed hope that the attack would be “the first step to regime change in Tehran.”
In his short statement to reporters at Mar-a-Lago, Trump said the US is “ready and prepared” to take “whatever action is necessary” against Iran.In his short statement to reporters at Mar-a-Lago, Trump said the US is “ready and prepared” to take “whatever action is necessary” against Iran.
With that, the US president turned and left without responding to shouted questions from the White House press pool.With that, the US president turned and left without responding to shouted questions from the White House press pool.
Trump is delivering a statement to reporters at his Florida resort Mar-a-Lago, his first public remarks since the killing of Iranian general Qassem Suleimani.Trump is delivering a statement to reporters at his Florida resort Mar-a-Lago, his first public remarks since the killing of Iranian general Qassem Suleimani.
“We caught him in the act and eliminated him,” the US president said. “We take comfort in knowing that his reign of terror is over.”“We caught him in the act and eliminated him,” the US president said. “We take comfort in knowing that his reign of terror is over.”
“We took action last night to stop a war,” Trump added. “We did not take action to start a war.”“We took action last night to stop a war,” Trump added. “We did not take action to start a war.”
The White House press pool was just brought into a room at Mar-a-Lago with a podium, where Donald Trump is expected to soon deliver a statement on the killing of Qassem Suleimani.The White House press pool was just brought into a room at Mar-a-Lago with a podium, where Donald Trump is expected to soon deliver a statement on the killing of Qassem Suleimani.
Democratic senator Tim Kaine has filed a resolution to force a congressional debate on US military operations in Iran, a measure that would need only a majority of senators’ support to pass.Democratic senator Tim Kaine has filed a resolution to force a congressional debate on US military operations in Iran, a measure that would need only a majority of senators’ support to pass.
The Wall Street Journal reports:The Wall Street Journal reports:
The Russian foreign ministry has released its own statement on the conversation between minister Sergei Lavrov and US secretary of state Mike Pompeo regarding the Suleimani strike.The Russian foreign ministry has released its own statement on the conversation between minister Sergei Lavrov and US secretary of state Mike Pompeo regarding the Suleimani strike.
The Russian government’s statement said the US attack violates “the principles of international law” and is “fraught with grave consequences for regional peace and stability.”The Russian government’s statement said the US attack violates “the principles of international law” and is “fraught with grave consequences for regional peace and stability.”
In contrast, Pompeo said of his conversation with Lavrov that he “emphasized that de-escalation is the United States’ principal goal.”In contrast, Pompeo said of his conversation with Lavrov that he “emphasized that de-escalation is the United States’ principal goal.”
Congressman Adam Schiff, the Democratic chairman of the House intelligence committee, expressed fear that the Suleimani strike could lead to escalation between US and Iranian forces.Congressman Adam Schiff, the Democratic chairman of the House intelligence committee, expressed fear that the Suleimani strike could lead to escalation between US and Iranian forces.
“I’ve had the opportunity to get a briefing on the intelligence that led to the recent strikes, and I have profound concerns about the prospect for serious escalation,” the California Democrat told reporters on Capitol Hill.“I’ve had the opportunity to get a briefing on the intelligence that led to the recent strikes, and I have profound concerns about the prospect for serious escalation,” the California Democrat told reporters on Capitol Hill.
Some of the president’s critics are resharing his old tweets to argue Trump has broken his campaign promise to curtial America’s presence in the Middle East.
This 2011 tweet, incorrectly predicting Barack Obama would start a war with Iran to win reelection, has been frequently retweeted today. (Some Democratic lawmakers have accused Trump of only approving the Suleimani strike to improve his own reelection chances.)
The president’s critics have also pointed to this tweet from just three months ago, calling for an end to the “Endless Wars.”
Democratic presidential candidates have also invoked the phrase “endless wars” today to warn about the potential repercussions of the Suleimani strike.
Democratic presidential candidate Marianne Williamson said she would be releasing a “video update on the Iran situation today,” but considering the self-help author has had to lay off her campaign staff nationally, the update will likely be a rather low-tech production.
Senator Richard Burr, the Republican chairman of the intelligence committee, released a statement condemning Qassem Suleimani as “the personification of a state sponsor of terrorism” who had “become the single most destabilizing force in the Middle East.”
“Iran and the Iranian people can now turn away from Soleimani’s murderous adventurism, redirect the Quds Force’s money into Iran’s economy, bring home the troops Soleimani sent abroad, and move forward toward building a more peaceful region,” Burr said of the general’s death.
But Burr’s statement does not address the potential reprisals against US forces for the Suleimani strike or possible next steps in the Middle East.
It’s worth noting that Democrats are in agreement with Republicans about the thousands of deaths that Suleimani caused, but Democratic lawmakers are raising concerns that the costs of the general’s killing may far outweigh the benefits.
And Trump’s allies don’t seem to be coming up with much of a counterargument on that front.
Defense secretary Mark Esper has canceled his planned personal leave, which he was scheduled to take later this month, in the wake of the Suleimani strike.
The Pentagon released a statement last night calling the strike a “decisive defensive action to protect U.S. personnel abroad,” claiming the Iranian general was “actively developing plans to attack American diplomats and service members in Iraq and throughout the region.”
But Esper has not made himself available to reporters today, leaving many questions about what action defense officials were trying to prevent.
The killing of Iranian general Qassem Suleimani by the US in Iraq was an act of “international terrorism,” Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif told state TV on Friday, the Associated Press reports.
“It was an extremely dangerous, foolish escalation ... He was the most effective force fighting against Islamic State and al Qaeda terrorists,” Zarif said.
Defense officials told the AP that nearly 3,000 more troops from the 82nd Airborne Division would be deployed to the Middle East amid fears of reprisals against the US for the killing of Iranian general Qassem Suleimani.
The AP reports:
The commander of the Quds force, which was previously run by the late general Qassem Suleimani, advised Iranians to “be patient” following the US drone strike and witness the deaths of Americans across the Middle East.
Speaking on the Senate floor, Democratic minority leader Chuck Schumer argued Trump “does not have the authority for a war with Iran” and questioned what “legal basis” the president had for the Suleimani strike.
“The need for advance consultation and transparency with Congress was put in the Constitution for a reason,” Schumer said, noting that Democratic leaders were not given advance notice of the strike.
The New York Democrat added, “When the security of the nation is at stake, decisions must not be made in a vacuum.”
As the US braces for possible reprisals following the killing of Iranian general Qassem Suleimani, the Pentagon is reportedly deploying thousands of additional troops to the Middle East.
The news comes after Iran’s supreme leader promsied “severe revenge” on the US, but the move could anger some supporters of Donald Trump, who ran for president on the basis of curtailing America’s military presence abroad.
In the wake of the Suleimani strike, retaliation against the US seems virtually certain, although the exact nature of those reprisals remains unclear.
The Guardian’s Julian Borger reports: