Trump says US ready for peace as Iran 'appears to be standing down'

WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump said Wednesday Iran would "never be allowed to have nuclear weapons" as long as he was in the White House.

While Iran "appears to be standing down", more economic sanctions would be imposed in order to discourage Tehran and deescalate the tensions, he said, adding that the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Russia, and China should pull out from the 2015 nuclear deal.

Stressing that no Americans were harmed in Iran's late Tuesday attack on US bases in Iraq, he said it was because America's "early warning system that worked very well". There was minimal damage sustained at the bases, he added.

"Iran appears to be standing down, which is a good thing for all parties concerned and the world as well. I salute the courage of the men and the woman in uniform."

The US president lambasted Iran, saying it was "the leading sponsor of terrorism" and that the country threatened the civilised world. However, "we will never let that happen".

Trump's response was the first presidential one to Iran's missile salvo aimed at the US military in Iraq overnight other than a tweet in which Trump had said "all is well!"

The Iranian strike was in response to last week's killing by the United States of the country's most important general, Qasem Soleimani.

Trump added that the US "took a decisive action to stop a ruthless terrorist" and eliminated Iranian general Qasem Soleimani in a targeted airstrike near Baghdad International Airport.

Soleimani, the US president said, was responsible for the absolute worst atrocities. "He trained Hezbollah and fuelled bloody civil wars all across the region. He viciously murdered US troops and planted roadside bombs that maimed victims," he added.

The Iranian general was planning new attacks "but we stopped them", he said.

Speaking of the new economic sanctions aimed to deter Iran from further aggression and a sign of deescalation from Washington, Trump said the sanctions would continue until Tehran changed its behaviour. "It has fired unprovoked strike on Saudi Arabia and shot down two US drones," he stated.

Regardless, he said he knew there was "enormous untapped potential" and that the countries must work together to make the world a safer and peaceful state.

"Iran can be a great country. … The civilised world must send a clear and unified message to the Iranian regime. Your campaign of mayhem will not be tolerated any longer, it will not bee allowed to go forward.

The US "will ask NATO to become much more involved in the Middle East affairs", he said, but clarified that just because it had "this great equipment [to fight ] does not mean that we have to use it".

There was a need to "work together", Trump underscored. "To the people of Iran, we want you to have a great future, prosperity, and harmony. The US is ready to embrace peace for those who seek it."