In remarks to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo posited that “Iranians, and those impacted by the regime, are thankful the U.S. are finally holding their oppressors accountable. The Trump administration will neither appease nor tolerate the enormous national security threat Iran poses to the U.S. and to our friends and allies”. He also referred to the killing of Qassem Soleimani in January 2020 as “a de-escalatory measure”, and assessed that “the limited nature of Iran's counterattack [against Iraqi bases hosting U.S. forces], however, indicates that Iran's leadership is not eager to escalate a military confrontation. They know if we fight, they will lose. That's deterrence”.