President Trump spoke publicly about Soleimani's death for the first time on Friday at a press conference in Palm Beach, Florida.
"Soleimani was plotting imminent and sinister attacks on American diplomats and military personnel, but we caught him in the act and terminated him," Mr. Trump said.
"For years the Islamic Revolutionary military Guard Corps and its ruthless Quds Force under Solemani's leadership has targeted, injured and murdered hundreds of American civilians and serviceman," he said. "The recent attacks on U.S. targets in Iraq -- including rocket strikes that killed an American and injured four American servicemen very badly, as well as a violent assault on our American embassy in Baghdad -- were carried out at the direction of Soleimani."
He said what the U.S. did yesterday "should have been done long ago."
"We took action last night to stop a war," he said. "We did not take action to start a war."