Pompeo again declines to present evidence of ‘imminent’ threat that led to strike against Iranian general

Washington CNN — Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Tuesday defended the basis for killing Iranian General Qasem Soleimani because of the threat of an imminent strike but declined to present any evidence, saying President Donald Trump’s decision was “entirely legal.” “There’s been much made about this question of intelligence and imminence,” Pompeo said at the State Department. On Tuesday, Pompeo told reporters that senior officials presented Trump with the threats posed by Soleimani “in broad detail.” The top US diplomat didn’t offer any evidence of an imminent threat, required to legally justify the strike, but instead referred to past events that he said Soleimani was responsible for. Pompeo also continued to sidestep the President’s threats to destroy Iranian cultural sites, arguing that “every action” the US takes “will be consistent with the international rule of law.” The top US diplomat claimed that his comments are consistent with Trump’s, despite the fact that the President has doubled down on his threat to strike Iranian cultural sites, which would be a war crime. “Iran’s regime has defiled everything Iranians hold dear.” Pompeo was also asked about Zarif’s claims that the US has denied him a visa to speak at a United Nations Security Council meeting set for Thursday.