U.S.
and Iraqi officials said there were no deaths from the attacks on bases
housing American troops. But Iranian news outlets claimed differently,
with some reporting dozens killed.
By
Right Now
President
Hassan Rouhani of Iran says Tehran’s final answer to the killing of
Maj. Gen. Qassim Suleimani will be to kick all U.S. forces out of the
region.
Iran says it does not seek war after firing missiles at bases housing Americans.
The Iranian foreign minister said on Wednesday that his country had “concluded” its attacks on American forces
and did “not seek escalation or war” after firing more than 20
ballistic missiles at two military bases in Iraq where United States
troops are stationed.
The minister, Mohammad Javad Zarif, posted the remarks on Twitter after Iran had conducted the strikes in response to the killing of Maj. Gen. Qassim Suleimani, a leader of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps.
Senior
Iraqi defense officials who work with the United States command said
that no Americans or Iraqis had been killed in the attacks. In a short
statement released on Wednesday morning, the Joint Command in Baghdad,
which includes both Iraqi troops and soldiers from the international
coalition, said that neither force “recorded any losses.”
In a briefing in Washington, an official said that the Pentagon “had no confirmation” that any Americans had been killed. Australia,
Britain, Denmark, Poland and Sweden, whose troops are stationed in Iraq
alongside American forces, also said that none of their service members
had been killed.
Some
Iranian outlets had a different version of events. Fars, a news agency
that is associated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, said
that “at least 80 U.S. troops” had been killed in the strikes, citing an unnamed senior official from the military group.
General
Suleimani was killed on Friday in Baghdad in a drone strike ordered by
President Trump. American officials said the general, who led the
foreign expeditionary Quds Force of the Revolutionary Guards, had been
planning imminent attacks on American interests. One American official has since described that intelligence as thin.
“Iran
took & concluded proportionate measures in self-defense.” Mr. Zarif
wrote in his Twitter message, adding, “We do not seek escalation or
war, but will defend ourselves against any aggression.”
Maps: How the Confrontation Between the U.S. and Iran Escalated
Here’s how the situation developed over the last two weeks.
President
Trump suggested that damages and casualties sustained by American
forces were minimal. But he also said the assessment of the attacks was
ongoing.
“All is well!” he posted on Twitter. “Assessment of casualties & damages taking place now. So far, so good!”
President Trump planned to address the nation in a speech on Wednesday morning.
The missiles, launched from Iran, struck Al Asad Air Base in western Iraq and another in Erbil, in the north of the country.
Iranian
news media reported that the attacks had begun hours after the remains
of General Suleimani were returned to his hometown in Iran for burial.
President Hassan Rouhani on Wednesday wrote on Twitter that the general
“fought heroically” against a number of jihadist groups and that Europe
was safer because of his efforts.
“Our final answer to his assassination will be to kick all US forces out of the region,” he posted.
