Trump to Iran: We've Picked Out 52 Targets To Hit, 1 for Each Hostage You Took in 1979
In a series of tweets that began Saturday, President Donald Trump asserted his intention to hit back hard at Iran if it launches retaliation for the U.S. drone strike that killed Iranian Maj. Gen. Qassem Soleimani in Baghdad.
Trump’s comments follow a threat issued by one Iranian commander quoted by the Tasnim News Agency, according to The Washington Post.
“Thirty-five vital American positions in the region are within the reach of the Islamic Republic, and Tel Aviv,” Brig. Gen. Gholamali Abuhamzeh, was quoted as saying.
“The Strait of Hormuz is a vital thoroughfare for the West, and a large number of American destroyers and warships cross the Strait of Hormuz, the Sea of Oman and the Persian Gulf,” he said.
Within hours, Trump upped the ante from 35 to 52.
“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. He was already attacking our Embassy, and preparing for additional hits in other locations,” Trump tweeted.
“Iran has been nothing but problems for many years,” he tweeted before getting to the meat of his message.
….hundreds of Iranian protesters. He was already attacking our Embassy, and preparing for additional hits in other locations. Iran has been nothing but problems for many years. Let this serve as a WARNING that if Iran strikes any Americans, or American assets, we have…..
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 4, 2020
….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!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 4, 2020
“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.
Trump later replied to a tweet from Republican Rep. Dan Crenshaw of Texas.
They attacked us, & we hit back. 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! https://t.co/qI5RfWsSCH
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 5, 2020
“They attacked us, & we hit back,” Trump wrote. “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 then noted that the U.S. has undergone a major military buildup and is ready to respond.
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!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 5, 2020
“The United States just spent Two Trillion Dollars on Military Equipment,” Trump wrote.
“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!”
Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif tried to duel with Trump on Twitter Sunday.
In a pair of tweets, he accused the president of threatening a “war crime” and violating international law.
Those masquerading as diplomats and those who shamelessly sat to identify Iranian cultural & civilian targets should not even bother to open a law dictionary.
Jus cogens refers to peremptory norms of international law, i.e. international red lines. That is, a big(ly) “no no”.
— Javad Zarif (@JZarif) January 5, 2020
“That is, a big(ly) ‘no no’,” Zarif said.
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