Ian Payne 4am - 7am
"Soleimani was planning attacks, he had to be stopped" says ex-Trump security advisor
6 January 2020, 07:50
A former security advisor for Donald Trump told LBC that the US had evidence that the Iranian general killed in an airstrike was planning terror attacks in three countries.
Iran has vowed revenge for the assassination of Qassem Soleimani in a US operation last week in Baghdad.
Dr Sebastian Gorka worked under Donald Trump and labelled the general "one of the most evil people in the world".
Speaking to Nick Ferrari, he said: "When you've got one of the most evil people in the world who's been responsible for the deaths of more than 603 of your own servicemen and women and you receive "exquisite intelligence" - which is what my friends in the administration told me three days ago - that he is about to execute attacks in three countries in the region that will likely kill hundreds more US citizens as well as our Arab-Muslim allies, that it's time to kill that man.
"That's what Donald Trump did and that's what had to be done."
Asked what happens next, Dr Gorka said Iran now knew that the US wouldn't keep giving them money, as has happened under previous regimes.
He said: "Their cage has been rattled. Our friends in the region - Israel and others - will be fortified by the action.
"But Iran has been sent a very clear message that you can't get away with attacking our interests and our friends' interests with impunity.
"This is a very different kind of administration. We don't send pallets of cash to Tehran. We turn their lead terrorists into ash instead."
Watch the full interview at the top of the page.