Trump: "Soleimani conspired to kill more Americans... should have been eliminated long ago"

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy New York=Correspondent Kim Bong-su] On the 3rd (local time), U.S. President Donald Trump explained that the U.S. military's airstrike on Baghdad Airport in Iraq the previous day, which killed Qasem Soleimani, a key figure in the Iranian military and commander of the Quds Force (an elite unit of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps), was because "he was plotting to kill many Americans."

President Trump tweeted that "General Qasem Soleimani had for a long time killed or severely injured thousands of Americans and was plotting to kill many more, but he was caught," adding, "He is directly and indirectly responsible for the deaths of millions, including recent Iranian anti-government protesters."

President Trump further stated, "Although Iran will never properly admit it, Soleimani was both hated and feared even within Iran," and "Iranians are not as saddened as their leaders want the outside world to believe. He should have been eliminated long ago."

In another tweet, President Trump claimed that Iraq is dominated by Iran. He said, "The U.S. has spent billions of dollars annually in Iraq for a long time. That is the most important thing we have done for them," and added, "The Iraqi people do not want to be ruled or manipulated by Iran, but in the end, that is their choice. Over the past 15 years, Iran has strengthened its control over Iraq, and the Iraqi people have not been happy about it, and it will never end easily."

Earlier that morning, President Trump also tweeted, "Iran has never won a war, nor have they ever lost a negotiation."

The U.S. Department of Defense confirmed that Soleimani was killed under President Trump's orders following reports of his death the previous day. The White House also posted on Twitter, officially announcing, "Under President Trump's orders, Soleimani was killed to protect Americans."

President Trump's tweets came amid rising concerns worldwide about the possibility of war in the Middle East following the U.S. military's killing of Commander Soleimani. The tweets aimed to explain the purpose and background of Soleimani's killing to dispel other countries' concerns, strengthen justification, send a warning message to Iran, which is threatening retaliation, and indirectly urge negotiations.

Foreign media interpreted President Trump's tweets as a strong warning against Iran's retaliation threats while also signaling that the door remains open for a negotiated resolution.

Bloomberg News evaluated, "President Trump seems to be signaling that negotiation is the only way for Iran to get out of this crisis," but added, "Statements from Iran's Supreme Leader and other officials indicate that tensions could escalate further."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.