Donald Trump backs away from Iran conflict, includes China in call to resume nuclear talks
- Iran ‘appears to be standing down’, US president says, confirming no US casualties in strike on Iraqi bases housing American troops
- Trump urges nations including China to involve themselves in containing Iran’s nuclear ambitions
US President Donald Trump backed away from further military escalation with Iran on Wednesday and called for international support, including from China, to contain the Middle Eastern country’s nuclear ambitions.
Speaking from the White House in his first formal address to the country since ordering the drone strike that killed General Qassem Soleimani, the head of Iran’s elite Quds Force, last Thursday, Trump seemed intent on de-escalating the crisis after Iran launched ballistic missiles on two Iraqi bases housing US troops.
Trump confirmed that no Americans or Iraqis were harmed in the missile attack, and indicated he would not retaliate militarily.
Trump said that Iran “appears to be standing down” and that it was “a very good thing for the world”.
The American people should be “extremely grateful and happy that no Americans were harmed” in the attack early Wednesday morning.
Trump announced new economic sanctions against Iran, effective immediately, “until Iran changes its behaviour” after that country’s most direct assault on American forces since the 1979 seizing of the US Embassy in Tehran.
His measured remarks came as a departure from his recent tweets, which had left many to worry about an acceleration in tensions that could result in a war.
Instead, Trump called on nations around the world – including China – to “work together” to contain Iran’s nuclear ambitions.
China’s commitment to Iran ‘unchanged’, Beijing envoy assures Tehran
He reiterated his position that “Iran will never be allowed to have a nuclear weapon” and called for new negotiations to replace the 2015 nuclear deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). China had been one of the signatories to the plan.
“The time has come for the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Russia and China to recognise this reality. They must now break away from the remnants of the Iran deal,” said Trump. The US withdrew from the JCPOA in 2018.
“We must all work together in making a deal with Iran and make the world a safer and a more peaceful place,” Trump said on Wednesday.
Trump urged Iran to abandon its nuclear development and stressed that the two countries “should work together to [fight ISIS] as the priority”.
Trump also said he would ask Nato to become “much more involved in the Middle East process”.
FAA bans US airlines flying over Iraq, Iran and Gulf after missile attacks
The speech came after Iran fired a barrage of missiles at two military bases in Iraq – one in the northern Iraqi city in Irbil and the other at Al-Asad in western Iraq – that house US troops.
Trump credited an early warning system “that worked very well” for the lack of casualties.
Reuters, quoting anonymous intelligence sources, reported that Iran was believed to have deliberately avoided casualties in a bid to prevent the crisis from escalating out of control while still signalling resolve in responding to the death of Soleimani.
