President Trump asserted on Twitter Wednesday that Iran was plotting a “sneak attack” on US troops or facilities in Iraq — including the base that was hit in a prior missile strike after the United States killed a top Iranian military leader.
“Upon information and belief, Iran or its proxies are planning a sneak attack on U.S. troops and/or assets in Iraq. If this happens, Iran will pay a very heavy price, indeed!” Trump wrote.
The tweet followed the revelation that the US had deployed Patriot air-defense systems to an Iraqi military base as a precaution against Iranian-backed militia attacks, the website Middle East Eye reported, citing US and Iraqi military sources.
One battery was deployed to the Ain al-Asad base last week and was being assembled, according to the report.
The base was targeted by Iran in January, following a US strike that killed Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani, whom the Washington accused of plotting terrorist operations.
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Trump’s tweet came as both countries were struggling to contain the coronavirus outbreak.
Iran has 47,593 cases and 3,036 deaths to date.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said late last month that Iran had rejected offers of US aid to combat the pandemic.
Pompeo also condemned Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei for promulgating conspiracy theories that the United States was responsible for the outbreak, and pointed out Iran’s own misdeeds that he claimed exacerbated the spread of the virus.
“The U.S. has offered $100M+ in medical aid to other nations—including Iran—and our scientists are working 24/7 to develop a vaccine. @khamenei_ir has rejected American offers and spends 24/7 concocting conspiracy theories. How does that help the Iranian people?” Pompeo tweeted, referring to Khamenei.
US-Iranian relations have been bitter since the Islamic Revolution toppled the US-backed shah of Iran, Mohammed Reza Pahlavi, in 1979 and ushered in an era of theocratic rule.
While there was a detente with the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, relations have deteriorated with Trump’s decision nearly two years ago to abandon that multilateral agreement and to reimpose US sanctions, which have have severely crippled the Iranian economy.
With Post wires
