All is well”, tweeted US president Donald Trump shortly after Iran launched more than a dozen ballistic missiles at two military bases used by the US forces in Iraq.
Trump underlined that the US has the “most powerful and well equipped military anywhere in the world”. The president had gone into a huddle with his top national security officials shortly after the attacks were confirmed, amidst talk of the United States responding to these strikes.
“All is well! Missiles launched from Iran at two military bases located in Iraq. Assessment of casualties & damages taking place now. So far, so good! We have the most powerful and well equipped military anywhere in the world, by far! I will be making a statement tomorrow morning,” said the President in his tweet.
Iranian state television said the attack on US bases was in response to Friday’s killing in a US drone strike of Iranian general Qasem Soleimani, one of the most important figures in the country’s government.
Chief Pentagon spokesperson Jonathan Hoffman said in a statement, “It is clear that these missiles were launched from Iran and targeted at least two Iraqi military bases hosting US military and coalition personnel at Al-Assad and Irbil.”
These bases, he added, had been “on high alert due to indications that the Iranian regime planned to attack our forces and interests in the region”.
Earlier, the US had refused visa to Foreign Minister Javad Zarif to travel to New York to attend a UN Security Council meeting.