Pompeo scrambles to defend Trump claim killing Suleimani will save US lives
- Secretary of state attempts to defend legality of air strike
- Pete Buttigieg: ‘Pompeo did not prove strike prevented attack’
The Trump administration was scrambling on Sunday to justify its claim that the killing of Iran’s most powerful general was about stopping a war rather than starting one, as tensions spiralled by the hour.
Related: Trump vows to hit 52 sites ‘very hard’ if Iran retaliates over Suleimani killing