US President Donald Trump Says No American Harmed During Iran's Missile Attack; Offers Peace

This was the first presidential response to Iran's missile salvo aimed at the US military in Iraq overnight other than a tweet in which Trump said that "all is well!"

President Donald Trump addresses the nation from the White House on the ballistic missile strike that Iran launched against Iraqi air bases housing U.S. troops. (PTI)

Washington D.C: Hours after the  Iran launched ballistic missiles at Iraqi bases housing US troops, Donald Trump held a press conference on Wednesday evening (IST) and clarified that no Americans were harmed in last night's attack by Iranian regime. Speaking from the White House in Washington D.C, Trump said, "We suffered no casualties. All of our soldiers are safe and only minimal damage was sustained at our military bases." According to Iranian state TV, the attacks were in revenge for the killing of the commander of Iran's powerful Revolutionary Guards, General Qasem Soleimani, in a US drone strike on Friday, which was ordered by Trump. The Iranian state television claimed that "at least 80 terrorist US soldiers" were killed in the strikes. Some 5,000 US soldiers are in Iraq as part of the international coalition against the IS terror group. During his address, Trump also vowed that he will never allow Iran to have a nuclear weapon. "As long as I am the President, Iran will never be allowed to have nuclear weapon," he said. In a direct message to the Iranian leaders and the people, Trump said the United States is "ready to embrace peace with all who seek it". The US President also described Gen Soleimani as a "ruthless terrorist." In a brief address, he also said that Iran "appears to be standing down" after it targeted the Irbil and Al Asad base housing US forces in retaliation for assassination of top Iranian General Qasem Soleimani last week. "To the people and leaders of Iran, we want you to have a future and a great future, one that you deserve," Trump added. This was the first presidential response to Iran's missile salvo aimed at the US military in Iraq overnight other than a tweet in which Trump said that "all is well!" The Iranian strike was in response to last week's killing by the United States of the country's most important general, Qasem Soleimani. Earlier in the day, Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei called on the US to pull its forces out of region, hours after Iran launched missile attacks on two US military bases in Iraq.  Khamenei referred to Iran's missile strike on the US bases, saying that "they were slapped" on the face. However, "military operations of this kind is not enough," and "what is important is to put an end to the corruptive presence of the Americans in the region," he said, Xinhua news agency reported. He gave a speech in Iran's religious city of Qom that was broadcast live on state TV. In the early hours of Wednesday, the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) launched the heavy ballistic missile attacks on the Ain al-Asad base near the border with Syria and a US operated airbase in Erbi. Ain al-Asad has a 4 km runway at 188m altitude from sea levels, which is the main and the largest US airbase in Iraq. All flights were cancelled at Erbil airport. Iraq said the attacks have not taken any toll from its army men stationed at these two bases. Following the attack, the US army had blocked entrance into Ain al-Asad to everyone, including the Iraqi army.