WASHINGTON, D.C., USA — Are the United States and Iran on a path to war?
Secretary of Defense Mark Esper says – it’s up to the leaders in Tehran.
"There is a big off-ramp sitting in front of Tehran right now," Esper said. "That is to de-escalate, to message us that they want to sit down and talk”
Esper said the United States wants to find a diplomatic solution to rising tensions in the Middle East, but he made it crystal clear during a Pentagon news conference Tuesday – the military is ready for anything.
"As we defend our people and interests, let me reiterate, the U.S. is not seeking a war with Iran," said Esper.
"But we are prepared to finish one.”
Threats have been launched from both sides since an American airstrike killed Iran’s top general on Friday at Baghdad International Airport.
Qassem Soleimani led the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps' Quds Force. The United States says he was personally responsible for the deaths of hundreds of American soldiers during the Iraq war, and has spent years spreading extremist violence across the region.
"Since the strike, I have spoken with the commanders on the ground to ensure they have the resources they need to protect their people and prepare for any contingencies," said Esper.
The Defense Secretary also reiterated his denial of an unsigned memo from a U.S. Army general who said American forces were preparing to leave Iraq, after the Iraqi parliament voted to expel them.
"We are not leaving Iraq. ... We are in Iraq, and we are there to support Iraqi forces and the Iraqi government [to] become a strong, independent and prosperous country," said Esper.
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