Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif: ‘We Were Very Close To A War’

Jerusalem Post: Iran's Zarif: We were close to war with US after Soleimani assassination

Mohammad Javad Zarif said that the US and Iran were "very close to a war" and that, at the moment, the black box of the crashed Ukrainian airliner is not being touched.

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said that the US and Iran “were very close to a war” in an interview with NBC on Friday on the sidelines of the 2020 Munich Security Conference.

He explained that he thinks US President Donald Trump “was misled to believe that the United States would get away” with assassinating IRGC Quds Force commander Qasem Soleimani.

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More News On Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif

Iranian FM: Trump, led by novice advisers, brought region close to war -- Times of Israel
Iran: President Trump Is Wrong to Think Tehran Regime Will Collapse -- Time
Saudis don't want to de-escalate tensions with Iran, Zarif says -- Reuters
Zarif: Iran Willing To Return To Full Compliance With Nuclear Deal If Europe Helps -- RFE

More Than 100 U.S. Troops Diagnosed With Brain Injuries From Iran Missile Attack On Iraqi Base

U.S. soldiers are seen at the site where an Iranian missile hit at Ain al-Asad air base in Anbar province, Iraq. REUTERS/John Davison

Reuters: Exclusive: More than 100 U.S. troops diagnosed with brain injuries from Iran attack - officials

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. military is preparing to report a more than 50 percent jump in the number of cases of traumatic brain injury stemming from Iran’s missile attack on a base in Iraq last month, U.S. officials told Reuters on Monday.

The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity ahead of an announcement, said there were over 100 cases of TBI, up from the 64 previously reported last month.

The Pentagon declined to comment, but in the past had said to expect an increase in numbers in the weeks after the attack because symptoms can take time to manifest and troops can sometimes take longer to report them.

No U.S. troops were killed or faced immediate bodily injury when Iran fired missiles at the Ain al-Asad base in Iraq in retaliation for the U.S. killing of Revolutionary Guard General Qassem Soleimani in a drone strike at Baghdad airport on Jan. 3.

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More News On 100 U.S. Troops Being Diagnosed With Brain Injuries From Iran Missile Attack On Iraqi Base

More than 100 US troops suffered traumatic brain injury in Iran strike, military to report -- The Guardian
Over 100 US troops have been diagnosed with traumatic brain injuries following Iran strike -- CNN
More than 100 US troops are diagnosed with brain injuries from Iran missile attack after Trump dismissed their symptoms as 'headaches' -- Daily Mail

President Trump Admits That Iran War Was "Closer Than You Thought"

Wall Street Journal: Trump Says War With Iran Was ‘Closer Than You Thought’

During lunch with TV anchors, president also says he will award Medal of Freedom to Rush Limbaugh

WASHINGTON—President Trump said war with Iran was “closer than you thought” and that he plans to award the Presidential Medal of Freedom to conservative talk-show host Rush Limbaugh, in remarks made during a nearly two-hour lunch with television anchors at the White House on Tuesday, according to people familiar with the conversation.

Over celery soup, fish and coconut macaroons, the president spoke at length about Mr. Limbaugh, who said Monday he is being treated for advanced lung cancer, the people said. Mr. Trump said he had invited Mr. Limbaugh to his State of the Union address, but that Mr. Limbaugh might not be able to attend. The president has praised Mr. Limbaugh on Twitter as a “major star” and a “great guy who truly gets it.”

It is an annual tradition for the president to invite TV anchors to the White House for an off-the-record lunch on the day of the State of the Union address to give them a preview of what he plans to discuss.

Asked for comment, White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham said, “I actually have ethics, so I’m not going to comment on an off-the-record lunch.” The Wall Street Journal didn’t attend the event.

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Update: Iran War Was "Closer Than You Thought", Trump Admits (Zero Hedge)

WNU Editor: This is a two day story, and due to impeachment and the US State of the Union it has not received the attention that it deserves. In the meantime the tensions, threats, and low-level warfare continues .... Report: Iran trains Shia militia proxies in Iraq to wage war on US (Jerusalem Post).

There Are Now 64 U.S. Troops Being Treated For Traumatic Brain Injuries From Iran Missile Strike

Military Times: Esper says he personally briefed Trump on the seriousness of TBI after Iran attack, now at 64 cases

In the days following an Iranian rocket attack on U.S. troops in Iraq, as reported injuries ballooned from zero casualties to 64 diagnosed traumatic brain injuries at last count, questions have arisen as to whether the military’s most senior leadership recognizes the concerns over TBI.

Though President Donald Trump last week dismissed the injuries as “headaches" and “not serious,” Defense Secretary Mark Esper told reporters Thursday that he had personally explained to the president the implications of the diagnosis.

“I’ve had the chance to speak with the president. He is very concerned about the health and welfare of all of our service members — particularly those who were involved in the operations in Iraq,” Esper said, though he did not elaborate on whether the talk came before or after Trump’s statements. “And he understands the nature of these injuries."

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WNU Editor: Of the 64 service members who have been diagnosed, 39 have already returned to duty.

More News On 64 U.S. Troops Being Treated For Traumatic Brain Injuries From Iran Missile Strike

Pentagon chief defends Trump after traumatic brain injury comments -- Reuters
Now It’s 64. Wounded Troop Tally from Iran Missile Strike Rises Again -- Defense One
Number of US troops diagnosed with traumatic brain injuries after Iran attack rises to 64 -- FOX News
64 US troops now being treated for Traumatic Brain Injury as toll of Iranian attack continues to increase -- Task & Purpose
Defense secretary says Trump 'very concerned' about Iran attack brain injury victim -- ABC News
DoD Releases Video Explaining Traumatic Brain Injuries After Trump Comments -- Military.com

50 U.S. Service Members Have Been Diagnosed With Traumatic Brain Injuries After Iranian Missile Strike

U.S. soldiers inspect the site where an Iranian missile hit at Ain al-Asad air base in Anbar, Iraq, Jan. 13, 2020.John Davison/Reuters, FILE

Daily Mail/AP: Pentagon now says 50 U.S. soldiers suffered traumatic brain injuries in the Iranian missile strike on an Iraqi base in retaliation for killing Soleimani after Trump initially said they were 'just headaches'

* Pentagon raised the number from 34 to 50 on Tuesday after the January 8 attack
* New total total belies President Trump's claim that no Americans were harmed
* He then sparked outrage by saying the injured troops suffered 'headaches' and it was 'nothing serious'

The Pentagon on Tuesday raised to 50 the number of U.S. service members who suffered traumatic brain injuries in Iran's missile strike earlier this month on an Iraqi air base, the third time the number of injuries has been increased.

The new casualty total belies President Donald Trump's initial claim that no Americans were harmed.

He then sparked outrage by saying that those who had been injured said they only suffered 'headaches' and it was 'nothing serious'.

Days after the attack, the military said 11 service members were injured. Last week, the Pentagon said that 34 U.S. service members were hurt.

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WNU Editor: No kidding .... US military shelters need better shock protection (Asia Times).

More News On 50 U.S. Service Members Being Diagnosed With Traumatic Brain Injuries After Iranian Missile Strike

50 service members diagnosed with TBI following Iran ballistic missile attack -- Military Times
U.S. says 50 troops now diagnosed with traumatic brain injury after Iran strike -- Reuters
More U.S. service members diagnosed with brain injury from Iran missile attack -- NBC
Pentagon now says 50 service members suffered brain injuries from Iran attack -- ABC News
50 US service members diagnosed with traumatic brain injuries after Iranian missile strike -- CNN
Pentagon raises number of troops that suffered brain injuries in Iran strike to 50 -- USA Today
Number of US troops injured in Iran missile strikes rises to 50 -- The Hill
50 US troops diagnosed with traumatic brain injuries after Iranian missile attack -- Business Insider

Iranian Media Is Claiming That The CIA Agent Behind The Soleimani Killing Was Shot Down In Afghanistan

State TV asserts that senior CIA officer Michael D’Andrea – whom it says had a key role in killing Iranian general Qasem Soleimani – was killed in the crash. The image it’s showing is of actor Fredric Lehne who plays a character based on D’Andrea in the movie Zero Dark Thirty pic.twitter.com/u8Ius9TwWq

— BBC Monitoring (@BBCMonitoring) January 28, 2020

Business Insider: Iranian state TV used a photo of an actor from 'Zero Dark Thirty' to spread a wild theory that a senior CIA official was killed in a plane crash in Afghanistan

* Iran's State TV seemed to confuse a real CIA agent with the character he inspired in the movie "Zero Dark Thirty" on Tuesday.
* The network claimed senior CIA agent Michael D'Andrea was among those killed in a US military plane crash in Afghanistan on Monday.
* State TV broadcast an image of Fredric Lehne, the US actor who played a character inspired by D'Andrea in the 2012 movie.
* Iranian TV provided no evidence for the claim that D'Andrea was killed on Monday.

Iran's state TV broadcast a photo of an actor from"Zero Dark Thirty" to illustrate a claim that the CIA officer that inspired the character had been killed.

On Monday, the US military confirmed an E-11A surveillance plane crashed in Ghanzi, eastern Afghanistan. The Taliban, who control the region, say several top CIA operatives were killed, and have since denied access to the crash site.

One of those CIA operatives was Michael D'Andrea, state TV said, according to BBC Monitoring, which first reported the claims made on Iranian TV.

Iranian TV did not provide any evidence for its claim that D'Andrea was killed Monday.

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WNU Editor: One of the Iranian reports that is making this claim is here .... CIA’s Michael D’ Andrea reportedly killed in US plane downing in Afghanistan (MEHR News Agency)

More News On Iranian Media Claiming That The CIA Agent Behind The Soleimani Killing Was Shot Down In Afghanistan

CIA chief 'who orchestrated assassination of General Soleimani was among those killed when US military plane crashed in Afghanistan', Iranian news agency claim -- Daily Mail
CIA chief ‘behind Soleimani’s assassination’ killed in downed plane in Afghanistan -- Middle East Monitor
Iranian media: CIA agent behind Soleimani killing shot down in Afghanistan -- Jerusalem Post

Was Twitter Instrumental In Deescalating U.S. - Iran Tensions?

Iran took & concluded proportionate measures in self-defense under Article 51 of UN Charter targeting base from which cowardly armed attack against our citizens & senior officials were launched.

We do not seek escalation or war, but will defend ourselves against any aggression.

— Javad Zarif (@JZarif) January 8, 2020

All is well! Missiles launched from Iran at two military bases located in Iraq. Assessment of casualties & damages taking place now. So far, so good! We have the most powerful and well equipped military anywhere in the world, by far! I will be making a statement tomorrow morning.

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 8, 2020

Sirwan Kajjo, VOA: Did Tweets Help Deescalate Recent US-Iran Tensions?

WASHINGTON - Minutes after Iran launched a barrage of ballistic missiles against U.S. forces in Iraq earlier this month, its foreign minister, Mohammad Javad Zarif, came out with a tweet, saying that his country did not seek to escalate with the United States.

And minutes after Zarif’s comment, U.S. President Donald Trump posted a tweet, reassuring the American people that Iran’s attack caused no casualties among U.S. military personnel.

The Iranian missile attack was in retaliation for the killing of top Iranian military commander Qassem Soleimani, who died in a recent U.S. airstrike in the Iraqi capital, Baghdad.

Tweets and private messages

And while the world was awaiting a major confrontation between the two longtime foes, those Twitter messages from both sides helped mitigate the tensions and allowed back-channel diplomacy to take its course, experts argue.

"The relatively synchronous transmission of tweets, albeit of limited content, allowed both parties to publicly counteract the more strident messages coming via official news agencies and press releases,” said Randall Rogan, professor of communication at Wake Forest University in North Carolina.

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WNU Editor: I personally think the tweets that were sent during that week helped immensely to deescalate the tensions between the two nations, and to look for a face-saving way out. Back-channels take time, a tweet is immediate, and the U.S. - Iran crisis needed to be deescalated immediately.

41% Of Americans Approved Of President Trump's Order To Kill Iranian General Soleimani. 30% Disapproved

Iranian General Qassem Soleimani

ABC News: Poll: Many in US support Trump decision to kill Iran general

A new poll shows Americans are more likely than not to support President Donald Trump’s decision to order a drone strike that killed an Iranian general, even amid widespread skepticism about his foreign policy overall

WASHINGTON -- A new poll shows Americans are more likely than not to support President Donald Trump’s decision to order a drone strike that killed an Iranian general, even amid widespread skepticism about his foreign policy overall.

The poll by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research was taken about two weeks after the Jan. 3 strike that killed Gen. Qassem Soleimani in Iraq. It found that 41% of Americans approved of the action while 30% disapproved of it. The rest didn't express an opinion either way.

Soleimani was killed shortly after arriving at the Baghdad airport. Iran responded five days later by firing a barrage of missiles at bases in Iraq where U.S. troops are stationed, causing injuries but no deaths. The exchange sparked fears of a new Middle East war, but both sides then stood down.

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WNU Editor: This poll is somewhat similar to this one .... Poll: 27% Of Americans Believe President Trump Should Face War-Crime Charges Over Soleimani's Killing (January 23, 2020).

Pentagon Says 34 Troops Diagnosed With Traumatic Brain Injury After Iran Missile Strike

The Guardian: Pentagon says 34 US soldiers suffered traumatic brain injury in Iran strike

Thirty-four US soldiers have been diagnosed with concussion or traumatic brain injury from an 8 January Iranian missile attack on their base in Iraq, the Pentagon has revealed.

The Pentagon spokesman, Jonathan Hoffman, said on Friday that eight service members who had been previously transported to Germany had been moved to the United States.

Donald Trump had previously said that the US “suffered no casualties” from the attack, which was a reprisal for the US drone strike assassination of the Iranian general Qassem Suleimani.

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More News On The Pentagon Now Saying That 34 Troops Have Been Diagnosed With Traumatic Brain Injury After Iran Missile Strike

34 U.S. soldiers suffered traumatic head injuries in the Iranian missile strike on American bases in retaliation for killing Soleimani - as Trump brushes it off as 'just headaches' -- Daily Mail
Pentagon: 34 US troops had brain injuries from Iran’s strike -- AP
Dozens of US troops suffered traumatic brain injuries after Iran missile strikes -- The Hill
U.S. says 34 troops diagnosed with traumatic brain injury after Iran strike -- Reuters
Iran raid left '34 US troops with traumatic brain injuries' -- BBC
34 US troops suffered traumatic brain injuries after Iran strike -- Al Jazeera
34 US troops suffered brain injury in Iran’s revenge strike for Soleimani’s killing – Pentagon -- RT

Were The Alarmists Wrong About The Soleimani Strike?

An Iranian holds a picture of General Qasem Soleimani who was killed in an air strike at Baghdad airport in Tehran, Iran, January 4, 2020. (Nazanin Tabatabaee/West Asia News Agency via Reuters)

Hassan Hassan, NRO: Alarmists Were Wrong about the Soleimani Strike

Tehran’s response to it shows that the current U.S. policy toward Iran is working.

Two weeks ago, the United States seemed on the brink of starting another war in the Middle East after a drone strike killed Iran’s most notorious spymaster, Qasem Soleimani, as he departed an international airport in Baghdad. The shadowy general, in charge of the Iranian equivalent of the CIA, was one of the most effective operatives in the Middle East’s history. He built a sprawling army of proxy militias throughout the region and helped expand Tehran’s dominance in nearby countries.

But the dust has now settled, and none of the doomsday scenarios that so many in the media warned about has come to pass. It is true that Iran launched a missile attack into U.S. bases in Iraq, but the attack was merely symbolic. As Iraqi officials revealed the following day, Iran had informed them of an imminent attack on U.S. bases, a message that the Iraqis promptly and predictably passed on to the Americans. No fatalities were recorded, but the Iranian regime still told its followers that dozens if not hundreds of Americans were killed as a result of the retaliation.

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WNU Editor: It is still too early to come to the conclusion that nothing more will come from the Soleimani strike. If everything was alright, we would not be hearing US military announcements like this one .... U.S. Central Command Commander: U.S. Military To Maintain Expanded Mideast Presence (January 23, 2020).

Poll: 27% Of Americans Believe President Trump Should Face War-Crime Charges Over Soleimani's Killing

Former Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corp Brigadier General Haj Qassem Soleimani

Business Insider: More than 25% of Americans believe Trump should face war-crime charges over Soleimani's killing

  * 27% of Americans said they agreed President Donald Trump should be charged with war crimes over the drone strike that killed Maj. Gen. Qassem Soleimani, according to a new Insider poll.
  * Though regarded as a terrorist by the US, Soleimani was Iran's top general and his killing marked a major escalation in the long history of hostilities between Washington and Tehran.
  * The Trump administration has been extremely hostile toward the International Criminal Court (ICC) in attempts to investigate possible war crimes by the US in Afghanistan.
  * The US does not recognize the ICC's authority.

In the wake of the US assassination of Iran's most important military leader, Maj. Gen. Qassem Soleimani, more than a quarter of Americans believe The Hague should bring war-crime charges against President Donald Trump, according to a new Insider poll.

The Insider poll, which ran on Wednesday, found that roughly 27% of the 1,083 respondents said they agreed with Iran that Trump should face a war crime tribunal. The poll did not ask for respondents' opinions on other aspects of Iran's position, including Tehran's desire to bring war-crime charges against the US military and federal government.

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WNU Editor: Unbelievable.

More US Troops Are Medevaced From Iraq Over Possible Concussions From Iraq's Missile Attack Two Weeks Ago

Debris and rubble are seen at the site where an Iranian missile hit at Ain al-Asad air base earlier this month. More US troops are under medical evaluation after showing concussion symptoms

Washington Post: More U.S. troops leave Iraq for medical treatment after Iranian missile attack, Pentagon says

More U.S. service members have been transported out of Iraq for medical treatment and evaluations following Iran’s missile attack on military facilities there, the Pentagon said Tuesday, nearly two weeks after President Trump and defense officials initially said no one was hurt.

The Pentagon said Friday that 11 service members required medical treatment outside Iraq. U.S. military officials declined to say Tuesday how many more are receiving care but said “additional” personnel had been sent to Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany.

The officials left open the possibility that the number could increase in coming days.

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WNU Editor: The shock waves from these missiles must have been enormous.

More News On US Troops Being Medevaced From Iraq Over Possible Concussions From Iran's Missile Attack Two Weeks Ago

MORE US troops are evacuated from Iraq for medical evaluation for possible concussion symptoms from Iran missile attack -- Daily Mail/AP
US military says additional service members treated for injuries from Iranian strikes -- CNN
About a dozen more US troops medevaced from Iraq over possible concussions following Iran's missile attack -- Task & Purpose

Growing Concern Among US Officials That Iran Has Significantly Expanded Its Terror Capabilities In America

Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei delivers a speech to thousands of Basij members at Azadi stadium in Tehran, Iran October 4, 2018. Khamenei.ir/ Handout via REUTERS

Washington Free Beacon: Iran Has Spies Across U.S., Officials Warn After Tehran Posts $3M Bounty on Trump

Following Iran's announcement of a three million dollar bounty for the assassination of President Donald Trump, U.S. officials and terrorism experts are warning that Tehran has significantly expanded its terror capabilities in America, potentially allowing the Islamic Republic to conduct a domestic attack.

Iranian lawmakers announced on Tuesday that they would pay a "three million dollar award in cash to whoever kills Trump."

The bounty is the latest in a series of increasingly direct threats by Tehran. It has renewed concerns about the Islamic Republic's vast terrorism network, which stretches into the continental United States, U.S. officials and experts told the Washington Free Beacon.

While Iran has failed to pull off a strike in America, it is seen as having the resources necessary to do so. Several Iranian Americans have been arrested in recent years and charged with surveilling potential terror sites for a strike.

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WNU Editor: If Iran sanctions a terror attack on U.S. soil .... that is crossing one hell of a red line.

Is The Iranian Government Turning On Its Military?

Business Insider: The Iranian government is turning on its military after it lied about the downing of a Ukrainian passenger plane

* Iran's leadership has turned on its military over its response to the downing of Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752 last week.
* While Iran initially insisted that the plane crashed because of technical issues, it later said its Revolutionary Guard Corps shot down the commercial plane down by mistake.
* President Hassan Rouhani said on Wednesday that Iran must "compensate" for the crash and demanded that the Revolutionary Guard "explain to people" exactly what happened.
* Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif also rebuked the military for its actions and said on Wednesday that recent heated protests in the country were a response to the Iranian public's being "lied to."
* Experts have said the Iranian government's U-turn on its military indicates it is struggling to control the narrative around the downing of the plane.

Iran's leadership has turned on its military its response to last week's downing of Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752 in the country's capital, Tehran, which killed all 176 people on board.

Iran initially insisted that the plane crashed because of technical issues, but days later it said its Revolutionary Guard Corps shot down the Boeing 737-800 by mistake.

Iran has promised to prosecute those involved, and senior officials have been quick to accept responsibility for the jet's downing.

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WNU Editor: The Iranian President And the Iranian Foreign Minister may be critical on how the Iranian military, but the man that counts in Iran is publicly supporting the armed forces .... Iran's Khamenei stands by Guards after unrest over downed plane (Reuters).

Iran's Ayatollah Ali Khamenei Praises Strikes On U.S. Bases In Friday's Sermon

NBC: Iran's Ayatollah Ali Khamenei praises strikes on U.S. bases in rare address

The supreme leader's decision to speak at Friday prayers shows how seriously authorities take reaction to the accidental downing of a Ukrainian passenger jet.

TEHRAN — The recent missile attack on U.S. troops in Iraq dealt a “blow to America’s image,” Iran's supreme leader said Friday as the government grappled with the fallout of the killing of a top general by the United States and scrambled to contain anger at the subsequent accidental downing of a passenger plane.

"They stealthily and cowardly assassinated Gen. [Qassem] Soleimani," Ayatollah Ali Khamenei told the huge crowd, according to a translation by state-owned Press TV.

Khamenei also slammed Britain, France and Germany for triggering an official dispute clause Tuesday in the landmark 2015 nuclear deal.

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More News On Iran's Ayatollah Ali Khamenei Praising Strikes On U.S. Bases In Friday's Sermon

Iran's supreme leader says Trump is a 'clown' who will betray Iranians -- France 24
Iran: Khamenei praises attack on US bases as 'day of god' -- DW
Khamenei: Missile attacks major blow to U.S. 'superpower image' -- UPI
Iran's Khamenei stands by Guards after unrest over downed plane -- Reuters
Iran plane crash: Khamenei defends armed forces in rare address -- BBC
Iran's Khamenei defends Revolutionary Guard in Friday sermon -- Al Jazeera
Iran's Khamenei Defends Military Amid Anger Over Downed Plane -- RFE
Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei calls US President Donald Trump a 'clown' -- ABC News Online
Iran's supreme leader calls Trump 'clown' in rare Friday sermon -- The Guardian
Iran’s supreme leader calls Trump a clown, praises missile attack in rare appearance -- FOX News

Eleven US Troops Were Left With Concussion Injuries After Iran's January 8 Missile Attack On Bases In Iraq

Debris and rubble are seen at the site where an Iranian missile hit at Ain al-Asad air base in Anbar province, Iraq

Daily Mail: Eleven US troops were left with concussion injuries after Iran's missile attack on bases in Iraq officials reveal - despite Trump's claim NO American service members were hurt

* Eleven U.S. troops were treated for concussion symptoms after the attack
* Eight were transported to hospitals in Germany, and three to Kuwait
* Officials say they initially displayed no symptoms but are being evaluated
* Military initially said that there were no deaths or injuries in the attack

Eleven U.S. troops were treated for concussion symptoms as a result of the January 8 Iranian missile attack on an Iraqi base where U.S. forces were stationed, the U.S. military said on Thursday - after initially saying no service members had been hurt.

'While no U.S. service members were killed in the Jan. 8 Iranian attack on Al Asad Air base, several were treated for concussion symptoms from the blast and are still being assessed,' Captain Bill Urban, spokesman for U.S. Central Command, said in a statement.

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More News On Eleven U.S. Troops Injured In January 8 Iran Missile Strike

Eleven U.S. troops injured in Jan. 8 Iran missile attack in Iraq -- Reuters
Eleven US Troops Were Injured in Jan. 8 Iran Missile Strike -- Defense One
11 US troops injured in Iran missile strikes on Iraqi bases: report -- The Hill
US troops were injured in Iran missile attack despite Pentagon initially saying there were no casualties -- CNN
US service members treated for concussions after Iranian missile strikes -- NBC
Iran rocket attack on Iraqi military base injured 11 US service members, official reveals -- FOX News
11 US troops treated for injuries after Iran missile attack -- USA Today
11 US soldiers have been evacuated from Iraq with concussion symptoms after Iran's missile strike -- Business Insider

China's Censors Are Letting Iran And The US Go At Each Other On China's Social Media Website Weibo

Photo: Many countries and companies operate Chinese social media accounts to speak to the vast Chinese audience. (Weibo)

ABC News Online: Iran and the US are now trading barbs on China's Weibo amid censorship on other platforms

The world has been on alert since the United States killed Iran's revered military general Qassem Soleimani in a drone strike in Baghdad earlier this month.

For the moment, it appears as though Tehran and Washington will not be coming to armed blows in the immediate term, but that has not stopped the countries from trading barbs in the virtual sphere — in places largely unexpected.

In recent days, tensions between the US and Iran have been playing out on Weibo, a Twitter-like social media platform available to Chinese citizens.

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WNU Editor: China's internet rules are very simple. Do not criticize China, do not reveal state secrets, and definitely do not criticize the Communist Party and its leadership.

President Trump Authorized The Killing Of Soleimani Seven Months Ago If Iran's Actions Resulted In The Death Of An American

A composite image of US President Donald Trump and the Iranian military commander Maj. Gen. Qassem Soleimani. Leah Millis/Reuters; Office of the Iranian Supreme Leader via AP

NBC News: Trump authorized Soleimani's killing 7 months ago, with conditions

The timing raises new questions about the Trump administration's stated justification for taking out the top Iranian general.

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump authorized the killing of Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani seven months ago if Iran's increased aggression resulted in the death of an American, according to five current and former senior administration officials.

The presidential directive in June came with the condition that Trump would have final signoff on any specific operation to kill Soleimani, officials said.

That decision explains why assassinating Soleimani was on the menu of options that the military presented to Trump two weeks ago for responding to an attack by Iranian proxies in Iraq, in which a U.S. contractor was killed and four U.S. service members were wounded, the officials said.

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WNU Editor: It was this rocket attack that killed a US contractor that resulted in this US retaliation .... Soleimani approved attack on Iraqi military base that killed American: Top US general (ABC News).

More News On Reports That President Trump Authorized The Killing Of Soleimani Seven Months Ago If Iran's Actions Resulted In The Death Of An American

Trump approved Soleimani's killing last June: report -- The Hill
Trump approved Soleimani killing with conditions in June: report -- Al Jazeera
Trump has apparently wanted to kill Soleimani for quite a while — since as far back as 2017 -- VOX
The Trump administration is struggling to explain why the US killed top Iranian general Soleimani — here's all the shifting explanations -- Business Insider

U.S. And Iraqi Forces At Al-Asad Base Only Had Minutes Notice Before Iranian Rockets Started To Land In An Hour-Long Barrage

U.S. officials stand near a damaged installation hit by Iranian airstrikes inside the Ain al-Asad base near Anbar, Iraq, on January 13, 2019.© Emilienne Malfatto for The Washington Post

Washington Post: Al-Asad base had minutes’ notice before the Iranian rockets came crashing down in an hour-long barrage

AIN AL-ASAD, Iraq —U.S. commanders at the Iraqi military base targeted by Iranian missiles last week said Monday they believe the attack was intended to kill American personnel, an act that could have pushed the two powers closer to outright war.

On a visit to the sprawling Ain al-Asad air base in the Iraqi province of Anbar, reporters saw deep craters and the crumpled wreckage of living quarters and a helicopter launch site. The attack lasted more than an hour and a half, troops said, with each explosion illuminating the landscape for miles.

With tensions between the United States and Iran reaching a boiling point, the base had already been on high alert, expecting the sorts of rocket attacks that have target U.S.-led coalition and Iraqi forces across Iraq for months. The base hosts some 2,000 troops, 1,500 of them from the U.S.-led coalition.

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WNU Editor: We are now learning about the extensive damage at the base .... Photos taken at Iraq base where US troops are stationed show scale of damage following Iranian airstrikes (FOX News). More here .... New images show damage caused by Iranian missile strike on US military base in Iraq as soldiers clear the compound (Daily Mail).

The U.S. And Iranian General Soleimani Worked together To Defeat ISIS

Major General Qassem Soleimani

Philip Kowalski, OZY: Soleimani and the United States Worked Together to Beat ISIS

Before Gen. Qassem Soleimani was killed by a drone strike outside Baghdad’s international airport in the early hours last Friday, he was hardly a household name in the United States. The White House — which had ordered the killing — immediately set about framing the assassination along the same lines as the death of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi a few months previously, or that of Osama bin Laden in 2011. America had just defeated one of its greatest enemies, officials said.

But that Soleimani, the commander of Iran’s Quds Force — the country’s elite external military wing — was a relatively unknown figure among the American public not only attests to his skill as an officer of clandestine warfare, but also the extremely complicated relationship he had with the United States. Just a few years earlier, Soleimani had been an indispensable figure in the fight against the Taliban and ISIS.

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WNU Editor: The war against ISIS did bring about some unique alliances.