Iran’s attack on US base was “proportionate measure”, says FM Zarif

Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif described Iran’s missile attack to the US base in Iraq as a “proportionate measure” which came “in self-defense”, IRNA reports.

In a twitter post early Wednesday morning, he said “Iran took & concluded proportionate measures in self-defense under Article 51 of UN Charter targeting base from which cowardly armed attack against our citizens & senior officials were launched.”

Zarif went on to stress that “We do not seek escalation or war but will defend ourselves against any aggression.”

Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) has targeted US airbase of Ain al-Assad in Anbar province in western Iraq on Wednesday in response to the US assassination of the IRGC’s Quds Forces, Lt. Gen. Qassem Soleimani, Iran’s state news agency IRNA reported.

The IRGC fired “tens of surface-to-surface missiles” at the airbase, IRNA reported citing a statement.

The IRGC called on the US to recall their troops from the Middle Eastern region to “avoid any further damage”.

The US military, in turn, said that Iran fired more than a dozen ballistic missiles from its territory against at least two Iraqi facilities hosting U.S.-led coalition personnel at about 1:30 a.m. (2230 GMT on Tuesday).

US President Donald Trump tweeted “All is well” after the attack.

“Missiles launched from Iran at two military bases located in Iraq. Assessment of casualties & damages taking place now. So far, so good! We have the most powerful and well equipped military anywhere in the world, by far! I will be making a statement tomorrow morning”, Trump added.