President Trump said Tuesday the U.S. is “totally prepared” for any attacks from Iran over the killing of Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani.
“We’re prepared, we’re totally prepared,” Mr. Trump told reporters in the Oval Office. “And likewise, we’re prepared to attack if we have to, as retribution.”
Iran has vowed to get revenge against the U.S. for the death of Soleimani, who was killed in an airstrike last week in Baghdad, Iraq. The U.S. is deploying an additional 3,500 troops to the region and has placed military installations in the Middle East on high alert.
The president backed off his earlier threat to target cultural sites in Iran if the violence escalates, although he sounded reluctant.
“They’re allowed to kill our people, they’re allowed to maim our people,” Mr. Trump said. “They’re allowed to blow up everything that we have and there’s nothing that stops them. And we are, according to various laws, supposed to be very careful with their cultural heritage. If that’s what the law is, I like to obey the law.”
He added, “Think of it: They kill our people, they blow up our people and then we have to be very gentle with their cultural institutions. But I’m OK with it. It’s OK with me. I will say this: if Iran does anything that they shouldn’t be doing, they’re going to be suffering the consequences and very strongly.”
Asked what evidence he had to justify the killing of Soleimani, the president replied, “Well, Number One, I knew the past. His past was horrible. He was a terrorist. He was so designated by President Obama, as you know.”
He said Soleimani “wasn’t even supposed to be outside of his own country.”
“He had an attack recently [in Iraq] that he was in charge of where we had people horribly wounded [and at least one dead],” the president said. “And that was his. He was traveling with the head of Hezbollah. They weren’t there to discuss a vacation. They weren’t there to go to a nice resort in Baghdad. They were there to discuss their business. And we saved a lot of lives by terminating his life, a lot of lives were saved. They were planning something.”
Mr. Trump said Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and other administration officials will testify to Congress on Wednesday about details of Soleimani’s planned operations against the U.S.
The president also criticized Democratic presidential candidates for complaining about the attack on Soleimani.
“Ours was an attack based on what they did,” he said. “We weren’t the first one out. He killed an American. Now two people are dead from the same attack and some people very badly wounded. And that was one of his smaller endeavors. And he was planning a very big attack and a very bad attack for us and other people and we stopped it, and I don’t think anybody can complain about it. I don’t hear too many people other than politicians who are trying to win the presidency, those are the ones that are complaining, but I don’t hear anybody else complaining.”
• Dave Boyer can be reached at dboyer@washingtontimes.com.
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