"We saved many lives," President Donald Trump said Tuesday, referring to the assassination of the Iranian chief general on Thursday in Iraq, "he was planning something," he added, " a very big and bad attack , and we stopped him."
At a press conference at the White House, the president justified an operation that, if there was no imminent threat against US interests, should have been by law communicated in advance to Congress, as denounced by Democratic leaders.
"It was the right decision, we did it right, " said Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, in another press conference held today.
Pompeo described the dead soldier, Qasem Soleimani, as "a terrorist" whose actions in the Middle East "would potentially lead to the death of many more Americans, " underpinning the White House argument, but without detailing the exact nature of that alleged imminent threat.
Defense Secretary Mark Esper also appeared before reporters, stating that the Iranian general was hunted in fraganti when he planned with " another terrorist leader " some alleged attacks on US diplomats, forces or facilities that would be executed, he added, in question of days.
"It was time to get the terrorist leader of a terrorist organization off the battlefield," Esper added, adding that "the United States" does not seek a war "but" is ready to end it. "
In that sense, Trump met today in the White House with the Deputy Minister of Defense of Saudi Arabia, Khalid bin Salman, a meeting "very good" in which he discussed, as he wrote on the social network Twitter, " stability from the Middle East! "
Saudi Arabia is an ally of the United States and enemy of Iran, like Israel (although both are enemies of each other ). In this complicated scenario, the Al Quds brigades operated, commanded by the murdered general and accused of destabilizing actions in Iraq, Lebanon, Syria and other countries in the region.
With a new general in charge, Esmail Qaani, the United States "should wait" for an Iranian response to Thursday's bombing. " We are watching them very closely, " said the Secretary of Defense, "we see their movements, I do not want to say more because it begins to enter the field of intelligence."
A source from the Department of Defense has anonymously told the CBS network that the Iranian Army has increased its alert level, without still moving its ballistic missiles but preparing " very worryingly " to act in the short term.
That indicates, in his opinion, that "he is considering carrying out an attack , more than likely against US forces."
"We are prepared for any contingency," said the Secretary of Defense, " what happens next will depend on them ."
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