Saturday, January 4, 2020

Donald Trump sees Iran's threat against 35 US targets and raises them by vowing to strike 52 Iranian sites - as Islamic Republic unfurls its red flag of war and White House expects retaliation 'within weeks'

UK Daily Mail

Iran raised blood red 'flags of revenge' over the minarets at the
 revered Jamkaran Mosque in the holy city of Qom on Saturday
"President Donald Trump has threatened to hit 52 critical targets in Iran in retaliation if Tehran strikes any American interests in the region, upping the stakes after Iran said it had identified 35 targets for potential strikes and raised the red 'flags of revenge' over a key mosque..
" '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 U.S. diplomats and citizens were held hostage by student revolutionaries in Iran. 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 U.S. targets from DailyMail.com on Saturday evening.
"The U.S. military confirmed two rocket attacks near American facilities in Iraq on Saturday, saying that no U.S. personnel or allies were injured. The attacks took place near the Green Zone in Baghdad and Balad Air Base in northern Iraq.
"Earlier on Saturday, an Iranian official said at least 35 U.S. targets, including warships and Tel Aviv, have been identified for retaliatory strikes." . . .

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