Trump: US should have assassinated Soleimani a long time ago

JANUARY 3, 2020 23:54

US President Donald Trump spoke about the assassination of IRGC Quds Force commander Qasem Soleimani in a speech to the American people given on Friday evening, calling Soleimani the “number one terrorist anywhere in the world.”

“We took action last night to stop a war,” Trump said. “We did not take action to start a war.”

Saying that Soleimani spent the last 20 years attempting to destabilize the Middle East, the president said that “what the US did yesterday should have been done a long time ago. A lot of lives would have been saved.”

Trump spoke of Soleimani’s involvement in the torturing and killing of “more than a thousand innocent civilians…by their own government” during massive protests against the Iranian government.

He said he has deep respect to the Iranian people and called them “a remarkable people.”

Trump also said the US does not seek a regime change in Iran.

“If Americans anywhere are threatened,” he warned. “I am ready and prepared to take whatever action is necessary.”