US President Donald Trump has made it clear that Iran will never acquire a nuclear weapon during his presidency. He also indicated that his administration may not respond militarily to Iran following its missile attacks on US airbases on Tuesday night.
On Tuesday night, Tehran launched over a dozen ballistic missiles at the Ayn al Asad airbase and Erbil base in Iraq, which house American troops, in retaliation for the US drone strike that killed top Iranian general Qassem Soleimani on Friday.
The Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) warned the US and its regional allies against retaliation in a statement carried by Iran’s state-run IRNA news agency on Wednesday morning. However, during a press conference addressing Americans on Wednesday, Trump revealed that no American lives were lost during the Iranian attack. He also expressed readiness to negotiate with Iran for peace rather than war.
During the White House press conference, Trump announced more economic sanctions on Iran, urged Europe to support his maximum pressure campaign on Iran, called on NATO to get more involved in Middle East peace, and mentioned that the US military had new hypersonic weapons if needed.
“Iran will never have a nuclear weapon as long as I’m president,” Trump declared. He also stated, “Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. No Americans were harmed in last night’s attack by the Iranian regime,” and added, “Iran appears to be standing down, which is a good thing for all parties concerned.” He further emphasized, “We will be imposing additional financial and economic sanctions on Iran, which would remain until Iran changes its behavior.”
“Iran must abandon its nuclear ambitions and end its support for terrorism,” he affirmed. “We must all work together toward making a deal with Iran that makes the world a safer and more peaceful place,” Trump concluded.
Trump defended his administration’s decision to kill Soleimani last week, stating that the general’s “hands were drenched in both American and Iranian blood.” He added, “He should have been terminated long ago.”
Soleimani, who was killed on Friday, led the Quds special forces unit of Iran’s elite Revolutionary Guards and was a significant figure in Iranian and Middle Eastern politics. His death escalated tensions between Iran and the United States, following the US withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal.