Donald Trump says Qassem Soleimani had plotted terror around the world

Donald Trump on Friday said he did not order the death of Iranian General Qassem Soleimani to start a war but to stop one.

‘We took action last night to stop a war. We did not take action to start a war,’ the president said in brief remarks at Mar-a-Lago, where he is wrapping up his holiday stay at the Winter White House. 

The death of the top Iranian security and intelligence officer has sparked concern that tension will escalate in the Middle East and caused U.S. officials to brace for possible retaliatory attacks.

President Trump, who personally gave the order for the drone strike that killed Soleimani, charged him with plotting attacks on Americans. He said Soleimani was caught in the act and terminated.

‘Soleimani was plotting imminent and sinister attacks on American diplomats and military personnel, but we caught him in the act and terminated him. Under my leadership, America’s policy is unambiguous to terrorists who harm or intend to harm any American. We will find you. We will eliminate you. We will always protect our diplomats, service members, all Americans and our allies,’ Trump said.

The president had tough words in the wake of the airstrike that killed Iran’s top military general and defended his action as necessary for the safety of the United States. 

He emphasized his administration was not seeking to destabilize the Middle East, countering a concern voiced by some of his Democratic rivals and a few foreign leaders.

‘We do not seek regime change. However, the Iranian regime’s aggression in the region including use of proxy fighters to destabilize its neighbours must end and must end now. The future belongs to the people of Iran,’ Trump said.

Donald Trump said he did not order the death of Iranian General Qasem Soleimani to start a war but to ‘stop a war’

President Trump said Qassem Soleimani was plotting attacks on Americans, caught in the act and terminated

A handout picture provided by the office of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei shows him embracing the son of killed Iranian Revolutionary Guards commander Qasem Soleimani

An image which circulated on Iranian media in the aftermath purporting to show Quds commander Qassem Soleimani’s hand after the strike in the early hours of Friday. Two officials from the Iran-backed People’s Mobilization Forces (PMF) said Soleimani’s body was torn to pieces in the attack and a senior politician said his body could only be identified by the ring he wore on his left hand. The ring bears strong similarities to the ruby ring worn on Soleimani’s left hand in other photos, however, it is not a precise match and fellow victim Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis wore similar jewellery.