John Kerry: A ‘tragedy’ that Trump administration has ‘rushed to confrontation’ with Iran

Former Secretary of State John Kerry said it’s a “tragedy” that the Trump administration has escalated tensions with Iran while at a campaign event for former Vice President Joe Biden in Iowa. 

“I think it’s a tragedy for the world that instead of diplomacy, this administration has rushed to confrontation,” Kerry said on Tuesday, while taking questions from reporters in Iowa.

“If this develops into a tit for tat increased effort, it will become a war that is needless, it didn’t have to happen, and it will be a reckless war of choice by the president of the United States,” Kerry added.

Shortly after reports of Iranian airstrikes on US bases in Iraq, @JohnKerry again stressed diplomacy.

“If this develops into a tit for tat increased effort, it will become a war that is needless, it didn’t have to happen, and it will be a reckless war of choice” by Trump. pic.twitter.com/xzfcTSFnrm

— Musadiq Bidar (@Bidar411) January 8, 2020

Kerry’s comments on Tuesday come amid tensions between Iran and the U.S. after Trump ordered the killing of Iranian Maj. Gen. Qassem Soleimani.

Iran retaliated on Tuesday with missile attacks on two Iraqi bases housing American troops, though reports on Wednesday indicated there had been no U.S. casualties.

Kerry also said the intelligence the White House cited for the drone strike last week that killed Soleimani needs to be made public. 

“We’ve been through wars where intelligence was not there, was faked,” Kerry said, alluding to the 2003 Iraq War.

As secretary of State under the Obama administration, Kerry helped negotiate the Iran nuclear deal. President Trump pulled out of the deal last year and imposed economic sanctions.