Defence secretary says U.S. “will follow the laws of armed conflict”
OLIVIER DOULIERY/AFP/Getty Images
The split between the president and his Pentagon chief came amid heightened tensions with Tehran following a U.S. drone strike that killed Gen. Qassem Soleimani, the head of Iran’s elite Quds Force. Trump had twice warned that he would hit Iranian cultural sites if Tehran retaliates against the U.S.
His Twitter message caught administration officials off-guard and prompted an immediate outcry from legal scholars, national security experts and Democratic lawmakers. But the president stood by his threat the following day. Any targets would go through a lengthy vetting process within the military and the Pentagon to determine that they are legal, appropriate and proportionate to any Iranian action. Only after that process is complete would a list of potential sites go before the president for approval.“It shows that he is somewhat deranged about this,” said Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va. “The pledge to attack cultural sites, likely, is a violation of international law.
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