Iran appears to be standing down: Trump

January 08, 2020 22:14

President Donald Trump said US forces are "prepared for anything," but for now, "Iran appears to be standing down."

"Iran appears to be standing down, which is a good thing for all parties concerned and a very good thing for the world," Trump said.

President Trump also criticised the Iran nuclear deal as "very defective."

"The very defective JCPOA expires shortly, anyway, and gives Iran a clear and quick path to nuclear breakout. Iran must abandon its nuclear ambitions and end its support for terrorism," Trump said.

Trump called on other allies to "break away" from the deal.

"We must all work together toward making a deal with Iran that makes the world a safer and more peaceful place," he said.

Trump described the Iranian military commander Qasem Soleimani killed in a US strike last week as "the world's top terrorist."

"He trained terrorist armies, including Hezbollah, launching terrorist strikes against civilian targets. He fueled bloody civil wars all across the region. He viciously wounded and murdered thousands of US troops, including the planting of roadside bombs that maim and dismember their victims," Trump said.

Trump said Soleimani directed the recent attacks on US personnel in Iraq that "badly wounded four service members and killed one American" and he orchestrated "the violent assault" on the US Embassy on Baghdad.

"In recent days he was planning new attacks on American targets, but we stopped him," he added.

Trump said that since he took office "America has achieved energy independence."

"We are now the No. 1 producer of oil and natural gas anywhere in the world. We are independent and we do not need Middle East oil," he declared.

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