WTF Just Happened Today

Wednesday, January 8, 2020

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1/ Iran launched more than a dozen ballistic missiles at two Iraqi military bases housing U.S. troops Tuesday night in retaliation for the assassination of Iranian Gen. Qasem Soleimani. No U.S. or Iraqi casualties have been reported. Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei called the strikes a "slap in the face" to the U.S. and not sufficient retaliation for the killing of Soleimani. (Washington Post / NBC News / NPR / New York Times / CNN / ABC News)

• Trump met with Defense Secretary Mark Esper and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to discuss the Iranian missile attack, tweeting "All is well! […] So far, so good! We have the most powerful and well equipped military anywhere in the world, by far!" (NBC News)

• Satellite photos of the Iranian missile strike. (NPR)

2/ The U.S. military had advance warning of Iran's attack on the two American locations in Iraq. "We had intelligence reports several hours in advance that the Iranians were seeking to strike the bases," a senior administration official said, giving military commanders time to move U.S. troops into safe, fortified positions. Meanwhile, some Trump administration officials believe that Iran's missiles intentionally missed areas populated by Americans, suggesting that Iran chose to send a message rather than provoke a substantial U.S. military response. (Washington Post / USA Today / CNN)

3/ Trump said Iran appears "to be standing down" after the missile attack and signaled that no further U.S. military strikes were planned, because "The United States is ready to embrace peace with all who seek it." Trump, in a nationally televised address from the White House, announced a new round of what he termed "punishing economic sanctions" against Iran, while calling on NATO to become "much more involved in the Middle East process." Trump also called on world powers to abandon the 2015 Iran nuclear deal so a new pact could be negotiated. (New York Times / NPR / Washington Post / Wall Street Journal /