Trump says Iran 'standing down' after attacks in Iraq

US President says no casualties from Iranian strikes on bases in Iraq, US will immediately introduce new economic sanctions “until Iran changes its behavior".

WASHINGTON D.C. - US President Donald Trump said on Wednesday no Americans or Iraqis were harmed in the Iranian missile attacks on military bases housing US troops in Iraq, and urged world powers to forge a new nuclear deal with Tehran.

Trump said that Iran appears to be “standing down” and seemed intent on deescalating the crisis, indicating that he would not retaliate militarily for the strikes.

Instead, he said the US would immediately put in place new economic sanctions “until Iran changes its behavior" after that country's most brazen direct assault on America since the 1979 seizing of the US Embassy in Tehran.

"No Americans were harmed in last night's attack by the Iranian regime. We suffered no casualties," Trump said in a White House address.

"Our great American forces are prepared for anything. Iran appears to be standing down, which is a good thing for all parties concerned and a very good thing for the world."

"The fact that we have this great military and equipment, however, does not mean we have to use it. We do not want to use it. American strength, both military and economic, is the best deterrent," he said.

Trump stopped short of making any direct threat of military action against Iran. He urged world powers including Russia and China to abandon the 2015 nuclear accord with Iran and work toward a new agreement.

"We must all work together toward making a deal with Iran that makes the world a safer and more peaceful place," he said.

Trump credited an early warning system “that worked very well" for the fact that no Americans or Iraqis were killed. He added that Americans should be “extremely grateful and happy” with the outcome.

He reiterated his position that “Iran will never be allowed to have a nuclear weapon" and called for new nuclear negotiations to replace the 2015 nuclear deal from which he withdrew the US, seeming to blame the previous Obama administration for emboldening Iran and encouraging its belligerence in the region.

Trump also announced he would ask NATO to become "much more involved in the Middle East process.”

The Iranian strikes came days after Trump authorized the targeted killing of General Qassem Soleimani, the head of Iran's elite Quds Force.

Iran had pledged to retaliate, though its actions ultimately appeared calibrated to avoid American casualties while appeasing public anger domestically following Soleimani's assassination. Iranian state television had said 80 "American terrorists" were killed and US helicopters and military equipment had been damaged. But it did not say how it obtained that information.

Germany, Denmark, Norway and Poland said none of their troops in Iraq were hurt. Britain, which also has personnel in Iraq, condemned the Iranian action and said Tehran "should not repeat these reckless and dangerous attacks".

Iraq also said its forces did not suffer casualties, refuting some earlier reports that Iraqi soldiers had been killed.

Earlier on Wednesday, an Iranian army spokesman had denied "foreign media reports" suggesting there had been some kind of coordination between Iran and the United States before the attack to allow bases to be evacuated, Fars news agency said.

The US president, who was impeached last month and faces an election this year, had at the weekend threatened to target 52 Iranian sites - including those "important to the Iranian culture" -  if Iran retaliated for Soleimani's killing.

According to a US official, the Iranian missiles targeted two bases — one in the northern Iraqi city in Irbil and the other at Ain al-Asad in western Iraq.

Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif tweeted that the country had “concluded proportionate measures in self-defense."

But speaking on Wednesday, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said the strike was not necessarily the totality of Iran's response.

“Last night they received a slap to the face,” Khamenei said in a speech. “These military actions are not sufficient (for revenge). What is important is that the corrupt presence of America in this region comes to an end.”