Trump warned that he will strike back harder against Iran if it retaliates against the killing of military leader Qasem Soleimani.
‘These Media Posts will serve as notification to the United States Congress that should Iran strike any U.S. person or target, the United States will quickly & fully strike back, & perhaps in a disproportionate manner,’ Trump tweeted on Sunday afternoon.
‘Such legal notice is not required, but is given nevertheless!’ he continued.
The president remained largely silent on Twitter for most of the day as he golfed during his last winter vacation day in West Palm Beach.
He broke his silence after returning to Mar-a-Lago from his golf resort and took a hit at lawmakers and politicians who have criticized him for not notifying or consulting Congress before directing the attack.
Trump ordered an airstrike on an Iraqi airport in Baghdad, which took out Soleimani – who was classified by the Obama administration as a terrorist.
The attack came just days after protesters who support Iran-backed Iraqi Shia militia raided on New Year’s Eve the U.S. embassy in Iraq, which has never been breached before.
Several U.S. politicians and pundits have questioned whether the attack was warranted and have said they haven’t seen enough intelligence to warrant the action. Trump said he ordered the killing because Soleimani had ordered attacks on Americans in the Middle East.
Iran has since placed an $80million bounty on Trump’s head and threatened to attack the White House in response to the president’s warning that any strike on American interests in the region will bring massive retaliation.
President Donald Trump gave two thumbs up and flashed a smile after leaving his golf resort to return to Mar-a-Lago where he threatened to strike back in a ‘disproportionate manner’ if Iran took retaliatory action against the U.S. for the killing of General Qassem Soleimani
Donald Trump warned Sunday that if Iran retaliates against the U.S. he will take ‘disproportionate’ action against them. He also said he did not need to notify Congress if he decides to issue another attack
An organizer for a funeral procession for General Qassem Soleimani called on all Iranians to donate $1 each ‘in order to gather an $80million bounty on President Trump’s head’‘.
The organizer made the remarks during the procession in Mashad.
Iran has also announced it, they will no longer abide by any of the limits of its 2015 nuclear deal.
A statement issued by Iranian President Hassan Rouhani’s administration said the country will not observe limitations on its enrichment, the amount of stockpiled enriched uranium as well as research and development in its nuclear activities.
It did not elaborate on what levels it would immediately reach in its program.
The International Atomic Energy Agency, the United Nations watchdog observing Iran’s program, could not be immediately reached for comment.
Earlier on Sunday, the Iraqi parliament voted for US troops to be expelled from the country. The vote will ‘obligate the government to work towards ending the presence of all foreign troops on Iraqi soil,’ the country’s media office stated.
Iranian lawmakers chant anti-American and anti-Israeli slogans to protest against the US killing of Iranian top general Qassem Soleimani at the start of an open session of parliament in Tehran, Iran, on Sunday
As tensions escalate after Soleimani’s death, Iranian MP Abolfazl Abutorabi threatened to launch an attack on American soil in retaliation.
‘We can attack the White House itself, we can respond to them on American soil. We have the power, and God willing we will respond in an appropriate time,’ Abutorabi said, according to the Iranian Labour News Agency.
Abutorabi went on to say that ‘this is a declaration of war, which means if you hesitate you lose’.
‘When someone declares war do you want to respond to the bullets with flowers? They will shoot you in the head,’ he added.
Abutorabi’s threat was made during an open session of parliament in Tehran just days after Iranian military Soleimani was killed in a drone strike on Friday at Baghdad airport. Soleimani was the architect of Tehran’s overseas clandestine and military operations as head of the Revolutionary Guards’ Quds Force.
After Sunday’s funeral marches in Iraq, where thousands of people gathered, Soleimani’s body was flown to the city of Ahvaz in southwest Iran. Video from the scene showed a casket wrapped in an Iranian flag being unloaded from a plane as a military band played and the crowd angrily chanted ‘Death to America’.
‘We can attack the White House itself, we can respond to them on American soil. We have the power, and God willing we will respond in an appropriate time,’ Iranian MP Abolfazl Abutorabi (pictured)
On Saturday, Revolutionary Guards commander Major General Hossein Salami promised ‘a strategic revenge which will definitely put an end to the US presence in the region’.
However, Trump, who Iranian leaders branded as a ‘terrorist in a suit’, threatened to hit 52 critical targets in Iran in retaliation if Tehran strikes any American interests in the region. He upped the stakes after Iran said it had identified 35 targets for potential strikes and raised its red ‘flags of revenge’ over a key mosque.
Soleimani’s body was returned to Iran on Sunday. People are seen carrying his casket upon arrival at Ahvaz International Airport in Tehran. The casket was greeted by chants of ‘Death to America’ as Iran issued new threats of retaliation.
Following massive funeral marches in Iraq, his body was flown to Ahvaz, Iran. Military personnel carry Soleimani’s casket in Iran. A tide of mourners packed the streets of the Iranian city of Ahvaz Sunday to pay respects to the top general
Iranian military members transferred Soleimani’s casket at the airport in Tehran after it arrived on Sunday
Iranian mourners crowded in to touch the casket and express their grief at the death of the powerful general
An organizer for a funeral procession for Soleimani called on all Iranians to donate $1 each ‘in order to gather an $80million bounty on President Trump’s head’. The organizer made the remarks during the procession in Mashad
The flag-draped coffins of Gen Qassem Soleimani and his comrades who were killed in Iraq in a US drone strike, are carried on a truck surrounded by mourners during their funeral in the southwestern city of Ahvaz, Iran, on Sunday
‘Let this serve as a WARNING that if Iran strikes any Americans, or American assets, we have targeted 52 Iranian sites (representing the 52 American hostages taken by Iran many years ago), some at a very high level & important to Iran & the Iranian culture, and those targets, and Iran itself, WILL BE HIT VERY FAST AND VERY HARD. The USA wants no more threats!’ Trump tweeted on Saturday from Mar-a-Lago, after spending the day at his nearby golf course.
‘Iran is talking very boldly about targeting certain USA assets as revenge for our ridding the world of their terrorist leader who had just killed an American, & badly wounded many others, not to mention all of the people he had killed over his lifetime, including recently hundreds of Iranian protesters,’ Trump said.
‘He was already attacking our Embassy, and preparing for additional hits in other locations. Iran has been nothing but problems for many years,’ he continued.
Trump’s threat referenced the Iran hostage crisis of 1979-1981, in which 52 US diplomats and citizens were held hostage by student revolutionaries in Iran.
An organizer for a funeral procession for Soleimani reportedly called on all Iranians to donate $1 each ‘in order to gather an $80million bounty on President Trump’s head’
His threat to target sites important to ‘Iranian culture’ drew many accusations from critics that he was threatening to commit ‘war crimes’. A White House spokesman did not immediately respond to an inquiry about the list of US targets from DailyMail.com.
‘They attacked us, & we hit back,’ Trump said of the drone strike on Soleimani, which followed assaults on the US embassy in Baghdad by pro-Iranian militiamen.
‘If they attack again, which I would strongly advise them not to do, we will hit them harder than they have ever been hit before!’ he said.
Abutorabi’s threat came just a day after Trump (pictured on Friday) threatened to hit 52 critical targets in Iran in retaliation if Tehran strikes any American interests in the region. Iran said it had identified 35 targets for potential strikes and raised its red ‘flags of revenge’ over a key mosque following the death of top general Qassem Soleimani (right)
Abutorabi made the threat against the White House (file image) during an open session of parliament on Sunday. He said: ‘This is a declaration of war, which means if you hesitate you lose’
Paratroopers and equipment assigned to 1st Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division load aircraft bound for the US Central Command area of operations from Fort Bragg, North Carolina on Saturday
The 82nd Airborne Division loads equipment bound for the Middle East on a C-17 Globemaster III Saturday in Fort Bragg
Military hardware bound for the Middle East is seen aboard a C-17 Globemaster on Saturday at Fort Bragg
‘The United States just spent Two Trillion Dollars on Military Equipment. We are the biggest and by far the BEST in the World! If Iran attacks an American Base, or any American, we will be sending some of that brand new beautiful equipment their way…and without hesitation!’ he said.
On Sunday, Information and Telecommunications Minister Mohammad Javad Azari-Jahromi tweeted: ‘Like ISIS, Like Hitler, Like Genghis! They all hate cultures. Trump is a terrorist in a suit. He will learn history very soon that NOBODY can defeat ”the Great Iranian Nation & Culture”.’
In a CNN interview, Hossein Dehghan, the military adviser to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei, said: ‘The response for sure will be military and against military sites.’
‘Let me tell you one thing: Our leadership has officially announced that we have never been seeking war and we will not be seeking war,’ Dehghan said.
‘It was America that has started the war. Therefore, they should accept appropriate reactions to their actions. The only thing that can end this period of war is for the Americans to receive a blow that is equal to the blow they have inflicted. Afterward they should not seek a new cycle,’ he added.
Dehghan was referring to Khamenei’s statement in May when the supreme leader said Tehran does not seek war with the US.
At the time, Khamenei said: ‘There won’t be any war. The Iranian nation has chosen the path of resistance. We don’t seek a war, and they don’t either. They know it´s not in their interests.’
Earlier on Saturday, an Iranian official said at least 35 US targets, including warships and Tel Aviv, have been identified for retaliatory strikes.
Iranian General Gholamali Abuhamzeh, a Revolutionary Guards commander in the southern province of Kerman, said vital American targets in the region were identified a ‘long time ago’, including ships in the Persian Gulf, the Strait of Hormuz and Tel Aviv.
‘The Strait of Hormuz is a vital point for the West and a large number of American destroyers and warships cross there … some 35 US targets in the region, as well as Tel Aviv, are within our reach,’ he said, according to Reuters.
Hezbollah, an Islamic political and militant group, has also warned Iraqi soldiers to stay at least 1,000 meters away from US military bases from Sunday onwards.
Vowing vengeance for Soleimani’s death, Iranians raised the blood-red ‘flags of revenge’ over the minarets at the revered Jamkaran Mosque in the holy city of Qom on Saturday.
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamene visits the family of slain general Qasem Soleimani on Friday
Iranian members of the Basij militia take part in an anti-US rally at Palestine Square in the capital Tehran on Saturday to protest the killing of Iranian Revolutionary Guards’ Quds Force commander Qassem Soleimani by a US airstrike
Women hold up posters of Soleimani as they protested his killing in the Iran capital on Saturday
Iran raised blood-red ‘flags of revenge’ over the minarets at the revered Jamkaran Mosque in the holy city of Qom on Saturday
Iranians take part in an anti-US rally on Saturday in Tehran, Iran. Soleimani, the 62-year-old deputy commander of the Revolutionary Guards, will be laid to rest next week in his hometown of Kerman as part of three days of ceremonies Iran
A retaliation attack from Iran could be seen ‘within weeks’ either at home or abroad, a senior congressional staffer told Time.
The staffer said: ‘There is no indication that there is going to be a de-escalation in the near future. The only question is how bad is the retaliation going to be and where and what is it going to hit.’
Abuhamzeh’s concerning remarks that Iran has previously identified targets seems to confirm the State Department’s reasoning behind the airstrike on Friday.
The State Department said: ‘General Soleimani was actively developing plans to attack American diplomats and service members in Iraq and throughout the region.’
‘The United States will continue to take all necessary action to protect our people and our interests wherever they are around the world.’‘
Meanwhile, one of the Iranian-backed militia Kataeb Hezbollah, or Hezbollah Brigades, warned Iraqi soldiers to vacate any premises near US bases housing American soldiers in a thinly-veiled threat.
‘The leaders of the security forces should protect their fighters and not allow them to become human shields to the occupying Crusaders,’ the statement said, regarding coalition bases.
Iran is considering its options against America in retaliation for the killing of Quds commander Qassem Soleimeni in Baghdad. The conflict could quickly spiral out of control, dragging in other world powers including Russia, Turkey, and China
An Iranian official revealed that at least 35 US targets have been identified for retaliatory strikes, including ships in the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz. Pictured: The aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (L), the air-defense destroyer HMS Defender and the guided-missile destroyer USS Farragut transit the Strait of Hormuz in November
Tel Aviv, a prominent city in Israel, has also be singled out as a possible target for attack by General Gholamali Abuhamzeh
In a press conference after Friday’s airstrike, Trump said Soleimani was plotting attacks against Americans in a press conference after the airstrike.
‘Soleimani was plotting imminent and sinister attacks on American diplomats and military personnel, but we caught him in the act and terminated him,’ the president revealed in a press conference.
Although the specific locations of the 35 targets have not been disclosed, the US Embassy in Baghdad and the military base could be potential targets.
This comes off the heels of the slaying of an American contractor who was killed in a rocket attack a week ago while working at an Iraqi military base in the country’s northern region.
The US retaliated by launching an attack on five Popular Mobilization militia bases in Iraq and Syria, killing more than 24 people and inciting a nearly two-day siege of the United States Embassy in Baghdad.
Following Soleimani’s death, several Iranian officials and the 62-year-old’s supporters vowed revenge on the US.
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said the US made a ‘grave mistake’ in killing Soleimani and will supposedly suffer consequences for years to come.
While visiting Soleimani’s family on Saturday, Rouhani called the airstrike an ‘unforgettable crime’.
‘The Americans did not realize what a grave mistake they have made. They will suffer the consequences of such criminal measure not only today, but also throughout the years to come,’ Rouhani said.
‘This crime committed by the US will go down in history as one of their unforgettable crimes against the Iranian nation.’
Ayatolla Ali Khamenei visited the family on Friday and echoed similar sentiments against the Trump administration.
‘Hajj Qasem Soleimani had been exposed to martyrdom repeatedly, but in performing his duty & fighting for the cause of God, he didn’t fear anyone or anything. He was martyred by the most villainous people, the US govt, & their pride in this crime is a distinguishing feature of him,’ he wrote on Saturday.
He also warned Iran’s ‘enemies’ that the Jihad of Resistance’ supposed victory will be ‘bitter’.
He wrote: ‘All friends—& enemies—know that Jihad of Resistance will continue with more motivation & definite victory awaits the fighters on this blessed path. The loss of our dear General is bitter. The continuing fight & ultimate victory will be more bitter for the murderers & criminals.’
During funeral processions for Soleimani, his supporters chanted ‘No, No, America,’ ‘Death to America, death to Israel’ and ‘America is the Great Satan.’
Mohammed Fadl, a mourner dressed in black, said the funeral is an expression of loyalty to the slain leaders.
‘It is a painful strike, but it will not shake us,’ he said.
At least two rockets were reported to have fired near the US Embassy in Baghdad and three were fired at Balad Airbase housing US troops, about 50 miles north of the city.
After the rockets landed, security around the embassy’s perimeter, located in the the green zone were rammed up in response.
Of the three missiles that fired from the airbase, two Katyusha rockets fell inside the base and it was not immediately clear how many US troops are being housed inside.
A number of rockets also landed in the Al-Jadiriya neighborhood, according to the Iraq Army, although it is not clear if that was the intended target.
There have been no reports of injuries and it is not clear who fired the rockets.
In another unsettling event, Iran has unfurled a red flag, signifying revenge, on top of the Jamkaran Mosque, in Qom.
The US has since ordered all citizens to leave Iraq and closed their Baghdad based embassy, where Iranian militiamen and supporters staged violent protests outside the building for two days. Additionally, NATO has suspended training Iraqi security and armed forces in the region.
Spokesman Dylan White said: ‘The safety of our personnel in Iraq is paramount.’
Several US cities have also begun taking precautions against any potential attacks by bolstering security.
New York Mayor Bill de Blasio said the NYPD will take steps to protect ‘certain locations’ from ‘from any attempt by Iran or its terrorist allies to retaliate against America’.
New York Mayor Bill de Blasio announced that the city would bolster security in the wake of the Iranian airstrike
Bill de Blasio: ‘We are in an unprecedented situation today, but the NYPD is ready for any scenario. New Yorkers will see heightened security at locations around the city, but there is NO credible and specific threat at this time. If you see something, say something’
‘No one has to be reminded that New York City is the number one terror target in the United States. We’re taking escalation in the Middle East seriously — and I have absolute faith in the NYPD to protect this city and keep every New Yorker safe,’ he said in a tweet.
Gov Andrew Cuomo added that the Department of Public Service has been in contact with all electric, telephone, water and natural gas utilities in New York in an effort to increase vigilance for cybersecurity and physical security.
The Los Angeles Police Department and Mayor Muriel Bowser of Washington, DC, have also announced mounting security.
The LAPD is in talks with law enforcement at all levels and say there is not credible threat as of now.
Bowser released a statement saying Metropolitan Police and Homeland Security were working to monitor evolving events.
‘While there are no immediate threats to the District of Columbia, we remain vigilant and [Metropolitan Police Department] & [DC Emergency Management and Homeland Security] will remain in close contact with regional and federal partners to monitor evolving events — both at home and abroad,’ she said.