Berman Questions Pompeo Claim That ‘Imminent Threat’ Caused Soleimani Strike: We Need to ‘See the Intelligence on That’

CNN anchor John Berman pressed Secretary of State Mike Pompeo during a Friday interview about the supposed “imminent threat” that led to the U.S. strike that killed Iranian general Qasem Soleimani.

After Berman asked Pompeo about “the nature of those imminent threats” used to justify the strike, the U.S. official replied, “I can’t talk too much about the nature of the threats but the American people should know that the president’s decision to remove Soleimani from the battlefield saved American lives — no doubt about that.”

“He was actively plotting in the region to take big action, as he described it, that would have put hundreds of lives at risk,” Pompeo continued. “This was an intelligence based assessment that drove our decision making process. American people also know the history of Soleimani, hundreds of American lives on his hands. He orchestrated an attack here in Washington, D.C., that ultimately failed. This was a man putting American lives at risk for an awfully long time. Last night was the time we needed to strike to make sure this imminent attack was disrupted.”

Berman then questioned Pompeo about the specifics of Iran’s attack, and while Pompeo declined to give all the details, he did note that the plan was regionally focused and not just an attack in Iraq: “I’m not going to say anything more about the nature of the attack, but know this was not just in Iraq. It was throughout the region. it was using these proxy forces he has manipulated for so long to bring so much destruction.”

He went on to note that there were no threats aimed at the U.S. homeland.

“Will the administration be releasing details of the intelligence which did lead to the raid, the imminent threat, over the next few days?” the CNN anchor asked toward the end of the interview.

“We’ll do our best to release everything that we know that’s appropriate that we can that doesn’t put anyone at risk. We’ll do our best. We want the world to understand that there was, in fact, an imminent attack taking place,” replied Pompeo.

Following the conclusion of the segment, Berman discussed Pompeo embracing “the notion that there was a specific threat, a specific attack that was foiled,” but added a disclaimer: “We’re going to have to see the intelligence on that. Stand by.”

Watch above, via CNN.