President Trump warned that Iran and its allies are planning to attack American troops “and/or assets” in Iraq.
“Upon information and belief, Iran or its proxies are planning a sneak attack on U.S. troops and/or assets in Iraq. If this happens, Iran will pay a very heavy price, indeed!” Trump tweeted Wednesday.
Upon information and belief, Iran or its proxies are planning a sneak attack on U.S. troops and/or assets in Iraq. If this happens, Iran will pay a very heavy price, indeed!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 1, 2020
The president sent the tweet about an hour after he was scheduled to receive his daily intelligence briefing.
Defense Secretary Mark Esper is considering extending the deployment of a reaction force sent to the Middle East to counter Iran’s militia network, the Daily Beast reported this week. The extension seems to indicate that the military does not believe the coronavirus pandemic has decreased the risk of escalation with Iran’s militia network in Iraq.
Iranian-backed militias attacked the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad in December, leading the United States to kill Iran’s top military commander Qassem Soleimani in a drone strike in January. Iran retaliated by firing more than a dozen missiles at two Iraqi bases housing U.S. troops.
The Trump administration repeatedly claimed there was an imminent threat against the U.S. as justification for the killing. However, officials were vague about how soon an Iranian attack was planned against the U.S.
