President Donald Trump addressed the nation Wednesday for the first time since ordering an airstrike that killed Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani last week, prompting Iran to fire more than a dozen ballistic missiles at two Iraqi bases housing U.S. troops Tuesday night.
Speaking from the grand foyer at the White House, Trump opened his remarks with a pledge to disrupt Iranian efforts to obtain nuclear material, and later announced additional sanctions on the country.
“Iran appears to be standing down, which is a good thing for all parties concerned and a good thing for the world,” Trump said, flanked by military brass and joined by Vice President Mike Pence, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Secretary of Defense Mark Esper.
Several Trump administration officials told CNN they believed Iran may have intentionally targeted areas so as to avoid American casualties, signaling an attempt to deescalate the crisis.
That analysis dovetails with a statement from Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif, who positioned the missile salvo as a defensive measure.
“We do not seek escalation or war, but will defend ourselves against any aggression,” he tweeted after the attack.
Although both Trump and Iranian officials appeared to not push for further ramping up of the conflict following Iran’s strike on Iraqi military facilities on Tuesday, neither has there been a dramatic deescalation in the dispute. Trump tweeted that “all is well” after the attack and proclaimed that the U.S. has the most powerful military in the world. There are over 5,000 U.S. troops deployed in Iraq as part of the operation against the Islamic State militant group. | 
