"We don't want to start a war, but we are ready to end one. Pentagon chief Mark Esper said on Tuesday that the United States "would not hesitate" to respond to any Iranian response, so Tehran threatened to target American interests in the Middle East. At the same time, after the American blur of the letter announcing a withdrawal from Iraq, Donald Trump assured that a return of the 6,000 American soldiers was not on the agenda.
At a press conference, the Pentagon boss said he expected a response from Iran after the strike that eliminated General Soleimani. But Mark Esper warned: "We do not tolerate any attack on our interests, our personnel or our allies." Earlier, during a telephone conversation with Emmanuel Macron, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani warned that "American interests" in the Middle East were "in danger".
Soleimani's coordinated attack was a matter of "days"
The attack on American interests that Iranian General Qassem Soleimani was planning when he was killed by an American strike was a matter of "days," said Mark Esper. While the previous days had assessed the imminence of this attack in "days, even weeks", the American Minister of Defense clarified his remarks during a press conference. "I think it's fairer to talk about days, that's for sure," he said.
NEW: Defense Sec. Mark Esper: "Our policy has not changed. We are not leaving Iraq."
"A draft, unsigned letter does not constitute a policy change. There is no signed letter, to the best of my knowledge. I've asked the question." https://t.co/GwG3ipUVzN pic.twitter.com/4rniNWW8O5
Pressured by Democrats in Congress to declassify the US intelligence report on Soleimani, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo kicked in on Tuesday. Last Sunday, the New York Times quoted two American officials, on condition of anonymity, saying that the evidence of the imminence of an attack was "very weak".
Withdrawal from Iraq would be "the worst thing," says Donald Trump
On Tuesday, the oversight of the American letter announcing a withdrawal from Iraq continued. While Washington assured that it was a draft sent in error to Iraqi officials, the latter said they had received a signed missive. "I asked, to my knowledge, this signed letter does not exist," replied Mark Esper. “Our position has not changed, we are not leaving Iraq. "
Donald Trump has made it clear from the White House, saying that a withdrawal would be "the worst thing that could happen to Iraq." The American president said he was not aware of the famous letter: “I don't know if it's a hoax. "He finally withdrew his threat to strike Iranian cultural sites, an assertion which had caused an uproar in the United States and throughout the world:" They have the right to kill our nationals (...) and according to various laws, we are supposed to be careful with their cultural heritage. But if it's the law, I like to respect the law ”
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U.S. denies decision to leave Iraq despite letter saying otherwise
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