Trump: "No War or Regime Change"... Iran: "Clear Terrorism, International Legal Response"

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy New York=Correspondent Kim Bong-su] On the 3rd (local time), President Donald Trump drew a line, stating that he would not pursue regime change in Iran or go to war following the U.S. military's strike that killed a key Iranian military figure the previous day. However, he warned that the U.S. is prepared to take necessary measures if American lives are threatened. Meanwhile, the Iranian government strongly opposed the attack, calling it a clear act of terrorism and vowed to respond through international legal channels.

President Trump held a press conference at the Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida, in the afternoon, saying, "My most solemn duty is to defend our country and its citizens," and added, "Last night, under my orders, the U.S. military carried out a flawlessly precise strike to kill the world's 'number one terrorist.'"

He continued, "Soleimani was plotting imminent and sinister attacks against American diplomats and military personnel, but we caught him in the act and ended it." He criticized that the recent rocket attacks in Iraq that killed American civilians and the assault on the U.S. embassy in Iraq were carried out under Soleimani's orders, and that Soleimani also led the suppression of protesters in Iran.

President Trump declared that Soleimani's reign of terror ended, stating that Soleimani caused the deaths of innocent people due to his sick passion, and pointed out that many lives could have been saved if he had been tracked down years ago.

However, Trump emphasized, "We took action last night to end a war, not to start one," drawing a line against the possibility of full-scale war. He expressed deep respect for the Iranian people and stressed that he does not seek regime change. Nevertheless, he warned, "The aggression of the Iranian regime, including its use of proxies to destabilize its neighbors, must end now," and added, "If Americans are threatened anywhere, we will have already fully identified those targets and are prepared to take any necessary action."

Earlier, the U.S. military launched a missile strike on a vehicle carrying General Qasem Soleimani, commander of the elite Quds Force of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps and the top military figure, at Baghdad airport in Iraq, killing him. Additionally, after pro-Iranian Shiite militias in Iraq killed one American at the end of last month, the U.S. conducted a swift airstrike against the militias, killing 25. In response, Shiite militia supporters attacked the U.S. embassy in Baghdad over two days starting on the 31st of last month, escalating the war crisis between the U.S. and Iran. The U.S. is preparing for worsening conflict by deploying an additional 750 troops immediately after the embassy attack and sending 3,500 more troops to the Middle East.

The Iranian government is strongly opposing the attack, announcing it will take international legal action. According to foreign media, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif stated on the day, "Iran will take various legal measures in the international community to hold the U.S. accountable for the assassination of Soleimani (Qasem Soleimani)." He also described the killing of General Soleimani by the U.S. as a "clear act of terrorism."

It is also reported that the Iranian and U.S. governments exchanged their positions on the incident through the Swiss embassy in Iran.

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