Trump says Iran may be planning ‘sneak attack’

President Donald Trump today accused Iran or possibly a proxy group of planning a "sneak attack" on US troops or assets in Iraq and vowed retaliation if an assault occurs.

The potential escalation in hostilities comes nearly four months after tensions between the US and Iran boiled over, with the US ordering an air strike that killed a top Iranian official and Tehran retaliating with an air strike. Trump posted his warning today in a post on Twitter, one hour after a scheduled intelligence briefing at the White House.

"Upon information and belief, Iran or its proxies are planning a sneak attack on US troops and/or assets in Iraq," Trump said, "If this happens, Iran will pay a very heavy price, indeed!"

Washington has recently accused Iran-backed militias of carrying out strikes, at a time the Pentagon has reduced troop movements to limit their exposure to the coronavirus. Tehran at the same time has blamed US sanctions for restricting its imports of medical equipment needed to fight the coronavirus pandemic.

Iranian officials in the EU and at the UN could not be reached for immediate comment.

The US last month renewed a sanctions waiver for Iraq so it could continue importing energy from Iran. But it has ratcheted up other sanctions on other companies and individuals linked to Iran, while also pushing Iraq to take further action to prevent attacks against US assets.

"The Iraqi government is at a decision point," assistant US secretary of state David Schenker said on 20 March. "If it does not take steps to hold accountable those responsible for the attacks on coalition forces, which are there at the invitation of the Iraqi Government, the US will be forced to continue to protect our forces proactively."

The US in the past year vowed to military respond to attacks on assets in Iraq, regardless of whether Iran was directly or indirectly responsible. The Trump administration's relative restraint reflects a focus on the coronavirus pandemic and concerns that a continued tit-for-tat in Iraq could escalate into a war, Atlantic Council's Middle East security initiative director Kirsten Fontenrose said.

By Chris Knight and Haik Gugarats