After President Donald Trump's threats against cultural targets in Iran, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo dismissed allegations that the United States was planning war crimes. Any military strikes against Iran would be "lawful," Pompeo told ABC.
When asked whether Trump's threat was not in direct conflict with the Geneva Convention that civilian targets should be protected in military conflicts, Pompeo said: "We will act within the system."
Trump had threatened to attack 52 Iranian targets on Saturday, including culturally significant locations, if Tehran took revenge on US citizens or American institutions because of the airstrike on Iranian general Qasem Soleimani.
.... targeted 52 Iranian sites (representing the 52 American hostages taken by Iran many years ago), some at a very high level & important to Iran & the Iranian culture, and those targets, and Iran itself, WILL BE HIT VERY FAST AND VERY HARD. The USA wants no more threats!
- Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 4, 2020The Geneva Convention prohibits attacks on cultural sites and bans them as war crimes. In the interview, Pompeo avoided questions about what Trump meant by culturally significant goals. He saw the Defense Department's plans, Pompeo said. "Every target we attack will be a legal target," said the minister.
Trump's blunt threat had caused indignation in Iran. Trump's "hostile and threatening" statements are "absolutely unacceptable and violate international laws," said Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.
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Speaking to ABC, the U.S. Secretary of State renewed the threats to the Iranian leadership and its decision-makers. Earlier governments had reacted to provocations by local Shiite militias, but President Donald Trump is pursuing a different course with Iran, Pompeo said. Iran could not deploy its deputies and, in doing so, weigh itself in security.
"We will act against the real decision-makers, the people responsible for the threat posed by the Islamic Republic of Iran," said Pompeo. The government would react resolutely to any further escalation in Iran. On Friday night, Iraq's top general Qasem Soleimani was killed in an airstrike ordered by Trump.
