US President Donald Trump, while delivering a televised address on Wednesday in response to Iran's missile attacks, announced more "punishing" economic sanctions even as he extended an olive branch to the "people and leaders" of Iran to work together for "shared priorities".
Iran has fired more than a dozen rockets at two Iraqi military bases hosting US troops, the Pentagon confirmed.
The rockets fired at the Ain al-Asad base in Anbar province and a base in Erbil early on Wednesday came amid escalating tensions between Washington and Tehran following the US killing of Iranian military commander Qassem Soleimani in Iraq last week. Iran had pledged severe retailiation.
Iran launched strikes on two US military bases in Iraq in response to the killing of top Iranian general Qasem Soleimani in a US drone strike last week.
US President Donald Trump has said Iran "appears to be standing down", a sign that Washington will not seek a response.
Trump was addressing the nation from the White House on Wednesday following the Iranian missile attacks on US forces in Iraq where he said "no Americans were killed".
"As long as I am leader, Iran will never have nuclear weapons," he said.
He said he will ask NATO "to become much more involved" in the Middle East.
Trump defended the targeted killing of Gen. Soleimani, the head of Iran's elite Quds Force. He added that Americans should be extremely grateful and happy with the outcome.
He announced that the US “will immediately impose additional punishing economic sanctions on the Iranian regime” in response to what he called “Iranian aggression”.
Experts have viewed Iran's move as a measured response, saying that it had deliberately avoided US military casualties to prevent the crisis from escalating out of control while still signaling Iranian resolve.
Trump confirmed no Americans were harmed in the Iranian attacks and suggested Washington might not carry out immediate retaliation.
“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 said.
The US president acknowledged Iran "appears to be standing down" at the moment "which is a good thing for all parties concerned and a very good thing for the world".
The much-awaited address, which began almost half an hour after its scheduled time, began with Trump saying, "As long as I am president, Iran will not be allowed to hold nuclear weapons."
At the end of the almost nine-minute-long speech, Trump signalled to Iran that the US would be willing to work with it toward a "better future".
“To the people and leaders of Iran, we want you to have a future and a great future, one that you deserve,” Trump said. “One of prosperity at home and harmony with the nations of the world.”
Flanked by US Vice President Mark Pence, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo as well as several military officials, Trump called for new nuclear negotiations to replace the 2015 nuclear deal from which he withdrew the US.
Trump also announced he would ask NATO to become “much more involved" in the Middle East process.
Iraq’s military said 22 missiles were launched on the Ain al-Asad air base in western Anbar province and a base in the Iraqi Kurdish capital Erbil, causing no casualties among Iraqi forces.
Following the attack, the international community had sounded alarm and concern, urging both sides to de-escalate.
Trump had announced he would make a statement in the morning as an assessment of casualties and damage after the late-night attack was underway.
"All is well!" Trump said in the Twitter post. "So far, so good! We have the most powerful and well equipped military anywhere in the world, by far!"
Iran believed to have deliberately evaded US forces in missile attack
Iran is believed to have deliberately sought to avoid US military casualties, according to US and European government sources familiar with intelligence assessments.
The sources, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the Iranians were thought to have targeted the attacks to miss US forces to prevent the crisis from escalating out of control while still sending a message of Iranian resolve.
A source in Washington said overnight that early indications were of no US casualties, while other US officials declined comment.
UN: Iraq 'should not pay price for external rivalries'
The UN mission in Iraq said the country should not be made to "pay the price" in the escalating conflict between Tehran and Washington.
In a statement, the UN mission said that the latest strikes "again violate Iraqi sovereignty".
"We call for urgent restraint and a resumption of dialogue. Iraq should not pay the price for external rivalries," the statement added.
What happened in Iraq? A quick summary
- At about 1:30am local time on Wednesday (22:30 GMT on Tuesday), Iran fired more than a dozen ballistic missiles from its territory against at least two Iraqi facilities hosting US-led coalition personnel, the US military said.
- The missiles hit two bases: Ain al-Asad in Anbar province and a facility in Erbil, the capital of Iraq's semi-autonomous Kurdish region.
- No casualties have been officially confirmed so far.
- In a speech in Tehran after the attack, Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Hosseini Khamenei said: "The corrupt presence of the US in the region should come to an end", calling the missile attack a "slap in the face" of the US.
- Trump said "all is good" on Twitter hours after the attacks. He said would make a statement on Wednesday morning.
NATO chief condemns Iran rocket attacks
NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg condemned the attacks and called on Iran to refrain from further violence."Allies continue to consult & remain committed to our training mission in Iraq," Stoltenberg wrote on Twitter.
A NATO official said that there were no casualties among the troops on its training mission in Iraq, though on Tuesday the alliance said it was moving some personnel out because of the increased danger following Soleimani's killing.Report of US withdrawal incorrect, KUNA agency hacked: Kuwait
Kuwait's government said a report posted on the state news agency KUNA saying all US military forces in Kuwait would be withdrawn imminently was incorrect and that KUNA had been "hacked".The statement denying the report about US troops was issued on Twitter by Tareq al-Muzarem, head of Kuwait's government communication office.US-Iran escalation threatens aid to millions: charity
The escalating cycle of reprisals between the US and Iran is threatening the delivery of aid to millions across the Middle East, the Norwegian Refugee Council warned."Tens of millions of people across the Middle East need humanitarian assistance. Most of them are already devastated or displaced by conflict," NRC chief Jan Egeland said in a statement.
"Another confrontation among international and regional powers would be deadly for aid lifelines on the brink of collapse," he warned.
"Twenty-four million war-affected Yemenis and 12 million Syrians displaced within the region are extremely vulnerable to any escalation in conflict, sanctions or restrictions on movement," Egeland said.Airlines avoiding flying through Iran and Iraq airspace
A growing number of airlines including Air France, Dutch KLM and German Lufthansa said they were avoiding Iranian and Iraqi airspace for flights to the region.The region is an important corridor for flights travelling between Europe and Asia, although planes can be rerouted.Polish LOT, Malaysia Airlines, Singapore Airlines, Swiss International Air Lines and Australian carrier Qantas have also altered their routes.Shortly after the missile attacks, the US Federal Aviation Administration said it was banning US-registered carriers from flying over Iraq, Iran and the Gulf.
Its Russian counterpart, the Federal Air Transport Agency, said it was recommending airlines avoid the air space over Iran, Iraq and the Persian and Oman Gulfs.France condemns the strikes
"France would like to highlight again the importance of continuing the fight against Islamic State, while respecting the sovereignty of Iraq," the French Foreign Ministry said in a statement.Iraqi PM warned about imminent attack from Iran: spokesman
Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi received a verbal message from Iran informing him its retaliation to the US killing of Soleimani was either imminent or under way, his spokesman said in a statement.Tehran told Abdul Mahdi it would only target locations where US forces were present but did not specify the locations, his spokesman said.Abdul Mahdi simultaneously received a call from the US while missiles were falling on the two air bases, the spokesman said.He said he warned Iraqi forces as soon as he received word of the attack.Abdul Mahdi called on all sides to practise self-restraint and adhere to international agreements, adding that Iraq rejects any violation of its sovereignty and attacks on its soil.Iraqi Kurdish leaders call for region to be kept out of rivalries
The leaders of Iraq's semi-autonomous Kurdistan Region said that the support of a US-led military coalition in fighting ISIL (also known as ISIS) was vital and urged its member states not to allow the group's revival.The regional president, prime minister, and parliamentary speaker expressed concern at the escalation."In regards to the recent events, and in particular this morning's, the Kurdistan Region reiterates that military solution will in no way solve the problems," they said in a statement."The Kurdistan Region supports de-escalation of the situation and seeks dialogue and diplomatic solution to the problems. It also seeks stability and peace and urges all parties to refrain from dragging the Kurdistan Region into the rivalries."
