Hours after Iran launched retaliatory short-range ballistic missiles at two bases in Iraq that housed American troops, US President Donald Trump on Tuesday (local time) said that “all is well” and announced he will be giving a statement tomorrow morning.
“All is well! Missiles launched from Iran at two military bases located in Iraq. Assessment of casualties and damages taking place now. So far, so good! We have the most powerful and well-equipped military anywhere in the world, by far! I will be making a statement tomorrow morning,” Trump tweeted.
All is well! Missiles launched from Iran at two military bases located in Iraq. Assessment of casualties & damages taking place now. So far, so good! We have the most powerful and well equipped military anywhere in the world, by far! I will be making a statement tomorrow morning.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 8, 2020
Iran launched a series of attacks on US targets in Iraq including the targetting of two bases at Al-Asad and Abril with over a dozen ballistic missiles amid rising tensions following the killing of senior Iranian general Qassem Soleimani in a US airstrike last week.
The missile attacks came in retaliation to the killing of Soleimani. Tehran has threatened to strike inside America if Washington responds to the missile attacks.
Meanwhile, according to an initial assessment, the Iranian missiles struck areas of the al-Asad base that were not populated by Americans, a US military official and a senior administration official said.
Earlier, an Iraqi security source told CNN that there were casualties among the Iraqis at the base.
In light of the recent developments in the region, the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said that it was restricting all civilian US aircraft from operating in the airspace over Iraq, Iran, and the waters of the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman.