While the United States is not seeking war with Iran, it is prepared to finish one, Secretary of Defense Mark Esper said in a press briefing at the Pentagon.
Esper also appeared on CNN to make his first public statements since the strike on Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani. In both appearances, he restated the same messages.
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"Let me reiterate that the United States is not seeking war with Iran, but we are prepared to finish one," Esper said.
Additionally, Esper clarified that despite some recent news reports, the United States is not leaving Iraq.
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"Our policy has not changed. We are not leaving Iraq. An unsigned draft letter does not constitute a policy change," Esper said twice.
However, while the U.S. is not seeking war and is not leaving Iraq, Esper also said that some sort of significant action should be anticipated from Iran.
"What happens next depends on them," Esper said. "We should expect that they will retaliate in some way, shape, or form whether through their proxies — which they've been doing for many years — or by their own hand."
Despite this expected retaliation, Esper said that he supported the decision to strike Soleimani — as he supported all the options that were presented to the president.
"The options we presented were all options we supported and believed we could deliver on — options that would be effective," Esper said.
On Sunday, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced a plan to hold House votes to limit President Donald Trump’s ability to involve the U.S. in military conflict with Iran after the killing of Gen. Qassem Soleimani. Esper will be participating in those hearings and said his messages to Congress will be the same as the messages he has shared with the public.
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"Much of my messaging to Congress is the same as what I'm delivering to you all here," Esper said.
The hearings will be followed by a Senate vote.
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