Defense Secretary Esper says U.S. has made no decision to leave Iraq

WASHINGTON — Gen. Mark A. Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, denied reports that the intelligence that led to the U.S. killing of Soleimani was razor-thin.

Speaking to reporters at the Pentagon, Milley said “very, very few people saw the intelligence,” which he said demonstrated that Soleimani was planning imminent operations against U.S. forces in the region.

“I would be happy when the appropriate time comes, in front of proper committees and anybody else, in history, I will stand by the intelligence I saw. That was compelling. It was imminent. It was very, very clear in scale/scope,” Milley said.

WASHINGTON — A spokesman for Iran’s mission to the United Nations said in an email that the mission has “not received any official communication” from the United States or the United Nations regarding Foreign Minister Javad Zarif’s visa, after a report in Foreign Policy magazine that the Trump administration is blocking Zarif from entering the country. According to the report, Zarif requested a visa weeks ago to attend a U.N. Security Council meeting.

WASHINGTON — In recent days, Trump has made several claims that U.S. military equipment is ready for a potential conflict with Iran, claiming in a tweet Sunday that the United States has spent “Two Trillion Dollars on Military Equipment” that could be used to hit Iran “very fast and very hard.”

But Trump has actually spent closer to $420 billion on military equipment since he was elected, according to Todd Harrison, a defense budget expert and senior fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. The rest of the money was spent on personnel, operations and maintenance, and research and development.

WASHINGTON — On Saturday, Trump invoked history when tweeting out a threat to destroy “52 Iranian sites … some at a very high level & important to Iran & the Iranian culture.” He said the potential targets represent the 52 Americans who were held hostage there for 444 days from 1979 to 1981.

On Monday, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani also invoked history in response to Trump’s threat. “Those who refer to the number 52 should also remember the number 290. #IR655 Never threaten the Iranian nation,” he wrote.

WASHINGTON — After the U.S. military’s letter describing plans to reposition troops within Iraq in preparation for a possible withdrawal leaked, Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, called Gen. Kenneth F. McKenzie Jr., the commander of U.S. Central Command, which oversees the Middle East. McKenzie told him the draft letter was an honest mistake, “but used other words that were a little more colorful than mistake,” Milley said.

The U.S. military drafted the letter because it is moving forces around the region, within Iraq and from Kuwait into Iraq, and anticipates increased helicopter movement, Milley said, noting that draft letters are often coordinated with partners in advance, but are circulated without the signature of the official sending the communication.

WASHINGTON — Defense Secretary Mark T. Esper said during a briefing at the Pentagon that the United States has not made any decision to leave Iraq.

“We are repositioning forces throughout the region … beyond that, with regard to that letter, which I have read once, I can’t tell you the veracity of that letter, I can tell you what I read, that letter is inconsistent with where we are right now,” Esper said.

Milley said the letter was a draft that the U.S. military sent to Iraqi military officials for coordination purposes but hasn’t been signed or finalized.

WASHINGTON — In a draft letter released Monday, Marine Corps Brig. Gen. William H. Seely III said that U.S. forces will be relocated “to prepare for onward movement” and that “we respect your sovereign decision to order our departure.” A U.S. military official confirmed the letter’s authenticity.

The letter was released one day after Iraqi lawmakers passed a nonbinding resolution calling for foreign troops to leave the country. But because Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi resigned in November and is now acting only as a caretaker, he was not authorized to sign it into law.

WASHINGTON — Senators are expected to receive a briefing Wednesday afternoon from Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Defense Secretary Mark T. Esper, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Gen. Mark Milley, and CIA director Gina Haspel about the strike on Soleimani, according to three people familiar with plans.

House members are also expected to receive a similar briefing, but the time for their session had not been set as of midday Monday, people familiar with the matter said.