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Pentagon doesn’t clarify ‘imminent’ threat to kill Soleimani

Statements from the Pentagon throw into question Trump's justification for the US strike on Qasem Soleimani.
U.S. Secretary of Defense Mark Esper speaks during a joint news conference with Japan's Defense Minister Taro Kono at the Pentagon in Washington, U.S., January 14, 2020. REUTERS/Joshua Roberts - RC2XFE9HT6N6

Defense Secretary Mark Esper would not provide clarity today on a possible threat to US embassies from Iran-backed groups that prompted the Donald Trump administration to launch a deadly strike against a top Iranian military leader earlier this month.

Trump stated in an interview on Fox News Jan. 10 that Iran would have targeted four American embassies in the Middle East if he had not authorized a Pentagon drone strike to take out Quds Force chief Qasem Soleimani Jan. 3. But Esper said Sunday he hadn’t seen specific evidence pointing to such a plot.

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