Trump says US killed ‘terrorist’, ‘monster’… seeks peace

Shaimaa Hefzy

US President Donald Trump gave a speech on Wednesday that included a number of messages to Iran and the American people after Iranian missiles fell on bases housing American troops in Iraq.

Iran has said it launched the strikes late Tuesday in retaliation for the airstrike that killed Iranian Major General Qassem Soleimani last week.

The president said that no Americans were harmed and that Iran now “appears to be standing down.”

The president defended the drone strike, calling Soleimani “the world’s top terrorist” responsible “for some of the absolutely worst atrocities” of recent years.

“In recent days, he was planning new attacks on American targets, but we stopped him,” Mr. Trump said without elaborating or offering evidence. “Soleimani’s hands were drenched in both American and Iranian blood. He should have been terminated long ago.”

Trump also said Soleimani had been “travelling with the head of Hezbollah” and a “lot of lives had been saved by killing him”. Trump was probably referring to Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, the head of Iraq’s Kataib Hezbollah militia group, who died alongside Soleimani.

During his speech, Trump further slammed the nuclear deal, saying that a renegotiation of the accord will only play into the US’s hands.

“They must now break away from the remnants of the Iran deal,” Trump said. He suggested that he would be willing to make a new deal with Iran “that makes the world safer.”

Iran has proxies around the Middle East, groups that are not officially part of the state apparatus but which work to advance Iran’s interests and receive direct support from Tehran.

These groups include the Badr Organization and Kataeb Hezbollah in Iraq, Hezbollah in Lebanon, the Houthis in Yemen, Syrian Hezbollah in Syria, and groups in Afghanistan, Pakistan, and the Gaza Strip.

He further added that “Iran can be a great country” if it stops sponsoring terrorism in the Middle East.

“The American military has been completely rebuilt under my administration at a cost of 2.5 trillion dollars. US armed forces are stronger than ever before.

“Our missiles are big, powerful, accurate, lethal, and fast. Under construction are many hypersonic missiles,” Trump added. “The fact that we have this great military and equipment, however, does not mean we have to use it. We do not want to use it. American strength both military and economic is the best deterrent.”

He also referred to the killing of leader of Daesh, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, who as responsible for so much death, including the mass beheadings of Christians, Muslims, and all who stood in his way. “He was a monster. Al-Baghdadi was trying again to rebuild the Daesh caliphate and failed. Tens of thousands of Daesh fighters have been killed or captured during my administration.”

The US President finally said to the people and leaders of Iran, “we want you to have a future and a great future, one that you deserve, one of prosperity at home in harmony. With the nations of the world, the United States is ready to embrace peace with all who seek it.”