Donald Trump threatens to target 52 Iranian sites if Iran attacks Americans or U.S. assets
The President of United States (U.S.) – Donald Trump has said that U.S. has identified 52 Iranian sites and will strike them “very fast and very hard” if Iran attacks Americans or U.S. assets.
His remarks came after Iran vowed to take revenge for the killing of Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) – Qasem Soleimani. He was killed in an air strike, carried out by U.S, at Baghdad International Airport in Iraq on Friday, January 3, 2020. The Deputy Head of the Iran-backed Iraqi Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) – Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis was also killed in the airstrike.
In a series of tweets, Trump wrote, “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….”
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….
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 4, 2020
His 2nd tweet read, “…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…”
….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
The message continued in 3rd tweet, “…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!”
….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
The 52 targets represented the 52 Americans held hostage in Iran for more than a year from late 1979, after they were seized at the U.S. embassy in Iran’s capital city of Tehran.
Post Trump’s tweet, a website of U.S. Government agency – American Federal Depository Library Programme, appeared to be hacked by a group claiming itself as “Iran Cyber Security Group Hackers.” The webpage also displayed an image of Trump being hit in the face and bleeding from mouth.
A message on the site read, “This is a message from the Islamic Republic of Iran. We will not stop supporting our friends in the region: the oppressed people of Palestine, the oppressed people of Yemen, the people and the Syrian government, the people and government of Iraq, the oppressed people of Bahrain, the true Mujahideen resistance in Lebanon and Palestine, [they] will always be supported by us.”
Separately, on Saturday, i.e., January 4, 2019, several rockets fell in and around Baghdad, including inside the capital’s heavily fortified Green Zone and the Balad Airbase housing U.S. troops. However, no causalities have been reported.
Besides, U.S. has announced to send 3,000 additional troops to the Middle East from the 82nd Airborne Division as a precautionary measure in the wake of rising tensions between the 2 nations.
Meanwhile, a Senior Commander of IRGC – Gholamali Abuhamzeh said that Iran would punish Americans wherever they are in reach and raised the prospects of possible attacks on ships in the Gulf.
The tension between Iran and U.S. goes back to 2018 when U.S. called off the JCPOA deal. In retaliation, Iran disobeyed the terms of the deal and started producing low-enriched uranium beyond the permissible limits of JCPOA.
Separately, on June 20, 2019, Iran claimed to have downed a U.S. drone, over the Strait of Hormuz. In response, USS Boxer, an amphibious assault ship of U.S. Navy, destroyed an Iranian drone on July 19, 2019, in the Strait of Hormuz
Later, Trump announced that countries importing oil from Iran would be subject to sanctions. China, India, Japan, South Korea and Turkey were the biggest importer of Iranian oil. Subsequently, Iran accused U.S. of promoting economic terrorism against it.
All these sanctions started impacting the Iranian economy. The Government was compelled to ration the sale of fuel within the country and increase the price of fuel by 50%. Upset with the Government, the people took to the street to express their concerns.
