US not to leave Iraq, unless they pay for our base: Trump

AhlulBayt News Agency (ABNA): US President Donald Trump has vowed to launch sanctions on Iraq after the parliament votes to ban the American forces’ presence in the country.

Speaking to reporters on Air Force One Sunday, the American commander-in-chief’s comments came as tensions were spiraling between Tehran and Washington over the US assassination of Major General Qassem Soleimani, the commander of the Quds Force of Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC).

Trump further defended his earlier remarks about striking Iran’s cultural sites, falsely accusing Tehran of terrorism.

"They're allowed to use roadside bombs and blow up our people and we're not allowed to touch their cultural sites? It doesn't work that way," he said.

This is while targeting cultural sites with military action is considered a war crime under the international law, a point previously brought up by Iranian officials.

“We have a very extraordinarily expensive air base that’s there. It cost billions of dollars to build, long before my time. We’re not leaving unless they pay us back for it," he said.

The president vowed to introduce sanctions on Baghdad, ones even harsher than those imposed on Iran.

"We will charge them sanctions like they’ve never seen before ever. It’ll make Iranian sanctions look somewhat tame,” Trump said.

Tehran has vowed to retaliate the terrorist attack that led to the martyrdom of the General Soleimani on Thursday.

Thousands of mourners took to the streets in the region to pay homage to the anti-terrorism hero, a household name in Iran.

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