President Trump is scheduled to address the nation at 11 a.m. from the White House after Tuesday’s Iranian missile attacks on two Iraqi bases housing American troops.
Trump will deliver the remarks from the Grand Foyer of the White House, according to updated guidance issued by the White House Wednesday morning.
Trump briefly addressed the attacks on Twitter late Tuesday, saying “all is well” and that he would make a statement on the developments the following morning.
Reports early Wednesday indicated that there were no U.S. casualties in the attacks, which took place at roughly 5:30 p.m. EST on Tuesday, according to the Pentagon.
“Assessment of casualties & damages taking place now. So far, so good!” Trump tweeted Tuesday night.
“We have the most powerful and well equipped military anywhere in the world, by far! I will be making a statement tomorrow morning,” the president added.
Trump’s statement Wednesday morning is likely to offer some clues as to the administration’s strategy concerning Iran going forward following a U.S. drone strike that killed a top Iranian general in Iraq last week, a move that officials characterized as a defensive measure and that has escalated tensions between Washington and Tehran.
Trump signaled over the weekend that his administration would respond forcefully against Iranian targets if Tehran struck American assets or personnel; his optimistic tweet late Tuesday, however, came as an early signal that the president may not take steps to further escalate the conflict.
Iran’s missile attacks on two military bases in Iraq were meant to retaliate against the U.S. for killing Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani last Thursday in Baghdad.
Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif tweeted that Tehran had taken “proportionate measures in self-defense” to target the base from which a “cowardly armed attack against our citizens & senior officials were launched.”
Zarif also said Iran does not “seek escalation or war, but will defend ourselves against any aggression.”
The Pentagon said that Iran launched more than a dozen ballistic missiles against U.S. military and coalition forces stationed at the al-Asad air base and in Irbil, where U.S. forces had already been on high alert.
“These bases have been on high alert due to indications that the Iranian regime planned to attack our forces and interests in the region,” Pentagon spokesman Jonathan Hoffman said in a statement.
“As we evaluate the situation and our response, we will take all necessary measures to protect and defend U.S. personnel, partners, and allies in the region,” Hoffman said.
Trump administration officials have said that Soleimani was planning imminent attacks that threatened American lives in the region, though they have been tight-lipped about the intelligence behind the decision thus far. Top officials will brief Congress on Wednesday about the strike against Soleimani.