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U.S President Donald Trump has backed away from further military action against Iran. He claimed that Tehran was also standing down following a 5-day tit-for-tat exchange that started with an American drone strike to kill Tehran’s top general. He also said the Iranian ballistic missiles were failed to hit American bases in Iraq. Trump said, “Iran appears to be standing down, which is a good thing for all parties concerned and a very good thing for the world”. He delivered his words from the White House flanked by vice president Mike Pence, secretary of state Mike Pompeo, defense secretary Mark Esper, and a large coterie of top generals and admirals. Trump confirmed that there were no casualties in the ballistic missile attacks, which hit the Al-Asad base in the western province of Anbar, and Erbil city, in the Kurdistan region.

Trump has now imposed new sanctions on Iran instead of responding militarily action. Trump said on Wednesday, “The U.S would immediately impose additional powerful sanctions on Tehran, which would remain in force until Iran changes its behavior”. He did not specify what further sanctions could be added to those his administration has already imposed, which have largely cut Iran off from international trade and devastated its economy. He didn’t mention any specific conditions which could bring about relief from those sanctions other than his oft-repeated demand that Tehran “give up its nuclear ambitions”. He also said, “Iran will never be allowed to have a nuclear weapon”.

President Trump declared that Americans should be extremely grateful and happy that none of their countrymen were harmed in last night’s attack. There were many observers judged to be a measured response by Tehran to the drone strike he ordered against Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps General Qassem Soleimani. It is noteworthy that the president attributed the lack of casualties among both American forces and their Iraqi hosts. But Iranian-backed militias in Iraq have threatened their own retaliation to the U.S assassination of top U.S commanders in Baghdad. A hard-line commander in the Iran-backed Popular Mobilization forces, Qais Al-Khazali warned that “now is the time for the first Iraqi response”.