US President Donald Trump on Friday discussed the air strike that took down Iranian General Qassem Soleimani, head of the Quds Force of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards.

“Soleimani was plotting imminent and sinister attacks on American diplomats and military personnel, but we caught him in the act and terminated him,” Trump told reporters, adding, "What the United States did yesterday should have been done long ago.”

“We took action last night to stop a war. We did not take action to start a war," he stressed.

The President stressed that “America’s policy is unambiguous to terrorists who harm or intend to harm any American. We will find you, we will eliminate you, we will always protect our diplomats, service members, all Americans and our allies.”

“The future belongs to the people of Iran, those who seek peaceful coexistence and cooperation, not the terrorist warlords who plunder their nation to finance bloodshed abroad,” said Trump.

“If Americans anywhere are threatened, we have all of those targets already fully identified and I am ready and prepared to take whatever action is necessary, and that in particular refers to Iran,” he stressed.

רכבו השרוף של קאסם סולימאניReuters / Anadolu Agency

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