Its starting to look like Iran missed the bases on purpose fearing war with the US.
LIVE: President @realDonaldTrump Addresses the Nation https://t.co/vRH9gVAD0N
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) January 8, 2020
FoxNews reports that while the attacks marked the latest escalation with Tehran in the precarious aftermath of a U.S. drone strike that killed the top Iranian general, they appeared to open the door to reducing tensions after it became clear that no American forces were killed. Trump indicated Wednesday that he indeed considers the nature of the strikes as a sign that Tehran has taken an off-ramp.
“Iran appears to be standing down, which is a good thing for all parties concerned,” he said.
He added: “No American or Iraqi lives were lost.”
At the same time, he said the U.S. continues to evaluate options. Trump said he would immediately impose economic sanctions “until Iran changes its behavior,” called on other world powers to break away from the Iran nuclear deal and called on NATO to become more involved in the Middle East.
The president’s statement, while stressing American military might and marking new sanctions, nevertheless represents a move toward de-escalation after days of fiery threats from both sides that included vows of retribution from Tehran and warnings from Trump — later clarified — that even Iranian cultural sites could be targeted in response. It was the latest in a series of world-altering developments that began with an Iran-linked strike that killed an American contractor, escalated with an American retaliatory strike and went into uncharted territory when militia supporters stormed the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad — ultimately leading to the stunning strike against Gen. Qassem Soleimani. Global fears of a new war in the Middle East had built in recent days, as Washington was gripped by new partisan fights — this time, over the Soleimani strike…
