Trump's tweets about Iran: What has the US President said about war?

Rebecca Speare-Cole6 January 2020

Donald Trump has ramped up threats of war against Iran after the country promised "harsh revenge" for the US killing of General Qasem Soleimani.

Mr Trump ordered an airstrike on Friday when the military leader's convoy was spotted leaving in Baghdad airport in Iraq.

Tensions have been rising across the Middle East since the assassination took place and Iran has publicly vowed to take revenge on the US.

Once again, the US President has turned Twitter as his main communication platform - this time warning Iran against attacking Americans and telling Congress that the US will strike back in a "disproportionate manner" if attacked.

This photo released by the Iraqi Prime Minister Press Office shows a burning vehicle at the Baghdad International Airport following an airstrike in Baghdad
AP

So what has the US President said about Iran?

First cryptic tweets after the airstrike

Shortly after the general's death was announced, Mr Trump posted a picture of the American flag.

Then Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei announced that "harsh revenge awaits the criminals" behind the attack.

Declaring three days of public mourning, Mr Khamenei pledged to ramp up military action against the US.

A few hours later Mr Trump returned the somewhat cryptic line: "Iran never won a war, but never lost a negotiation!"

He showed no sign of backing down and a series of tweets followed saying Soleimani "should have been taken out many years ago".

He wrote: "General Qassem Soleimani has killed or badly wounded thousands of Americans over an extended period of time, and was plotting to kill many more...but got caught!

"He was directly and indirectly responsible for the death of millions of people, including the recent large number of PROTESTERS killed in Iran itself."

Trump warns Iran against revenge attack

The next day, after the initial fallout, the president returned to Twitter to warn Iran against a revenge attack.

He said Iran had been "talking very boldly about targeting certain USA assets".

He also called General Soleimani "their terrorist leader" before claiming that the Iranian had recently killed an America as well as hundreds of protesters during his lifetime.

"Let this serve as a WARNING," Mr Trump added.

Trump promises to "hit back" if US attacked

On Sunday, Mr Trump told Iran that if they retaliated, the US would "hit them harder than they have ever been hit before!"

He went on to brag about two trillion dollars he claims the US has spent on military equipment, calling the armed forces "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," he added.

The US president went on to tell Congress that he will order a quick response in a "disproportionate manner".

"Such legal notice is not required, but is given nevertheless," he added.

Who has he retweeted?

Besides his own posts, Mr Trump has retweeted several people who have highlighted the crimes of General Soleimani.

CNN news anchor Jim Sciutto spoke about the general's role in the war in Iraq while journalist Sam Dagher flagged up his role in the Assad regime's crackdown on protesters in 2011.

Mr Trump also shared posts from former CIA analyst Buck Sexton and Mike Glenn, a Washington Times reporter and former US soldier.

He retweeted the US Embassy's travel warning to Iraq as well as the White House's video of his speech after the airstrike.

What did he tweet about Obama and Iran?

Mr Trump has now been accused of hypocrisy after a series of tweets emerged from 2011 in which he says former president Barack Obama would start a war with Iran in order to get re-elected.

Between 2011 and 2015, Mr Trump tweeted multiple times that Mr Obama was vying to start a war with Iran because of “his inability to negotiate”.

In a 2011 video he said: "Our president will start a war with Iran because he has absolutely no ability to negotiate - he's weak and ineffective.

"So the only way he figures that he's going to get re-elected, and as sure as you're sitting there, is to start a war with Iran."

In 2012, Mr Trump tweeted: “Don’t let Obama play the Iran card in order to start a war in order to get elected – be careful Republicans!”

He has drawn criticism from social media users who have called him a “hypocrite” for risking a military escalation with Iran after his repeated accusations towards Mr Obama.

In July last year, Mr Trump tweeted that Iranian President Hassan Rouhani must “NEVER EVER THREATEN THE UNITED STATES AGAIN”.

He said: “YOU WILL SUFFER CONSEQUENCES THE LIKES OF WHICH FEW THROUGHOUT HISTORY HAVE EVER SUFFERED BEFORE.”

The threat came after Mr Rouhani cautioned the president against pursuing hardline policies against Tehran with the warning: “War with Iran is the mother of all wars.”

Under the Trump administration, tensions with Iran have steadily escalated since the US left the Iran nuclear deal in 2018.

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