NEW: Sec. Pompeo defends decision to kill Qassem Soleimani and continues to assert that Americans are now safer because of the strike, as Iran threatens retaliation and the US makes preparations to defend itself from Iranian response. - MeetThePress
American officials have saidbecause he was in the process of planning attacks against America in the Middle East. But tensions were already rising in the region before the strike.
Iran has threatened retaliation, with President Hassan Rouhani tweeting that"the great nation of Iran will take revenge for this heinous crime."that"if Iran strikes any Americans, or American assets, we have targeted 52 Iranian sites , some at a very high level & important to Iran & the Iranian culture.”
"We've communicated clearly, crisply to them with respect to what it is we have as an expectation. And we have communicated clearly and crisply what we will do in response if they choose another path. We hope that they will not, but we are prepared in the event that they choose to do so."
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