ABOARD AIR FORCE ONE: US President Donald Trump threatened sanctions against Baghdad on Sunday after Iraq`s Parliament called on US troops to leave the country, and the President said if troops did leave, Baghdad would have to pay Washington for the cost of the airbase there.


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“We have a very extraordinarily expensive airbase that’s there. It cost billions of dollars to build, long before my time. We’re not leaving unless they pay us back for it," Trump told reporters on Air Force One.


Trump said that if Iraq asked US forces to leave and it was not done on a friendly basis, "we will charge them sanctions as they’ve never seen before ever. It’ll make Iranian sanctions look somewhat tame.”


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Trump also threatened "major retaliation" against Iran if Tehran were to retaliate for the killing of one of its top military commanders.


The President also told reporters travelling with him from Florida that he was willing to go after Iranian cultural sites because Iran had killed Americans, and he said the administration "may discuss" releasing intelligence related to the killing of Qassem Soleimani.


Meanwhile, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, President of France Emmanuel Macron and UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson issue statement urging Iran to withdraw measures flouting nuclear deal.


(With Agency inputs)