::THE SLICE REPORT WITH MONA AUSTIN

I By Mona Austin Two bases housing U.S. troops in Iraq have been attacked in retaliation to the death of Qasem Soleimani and Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, senior leaders in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corp. Iran fired off multiple missles according to Iran's state news agency in what they are calling operation "Martyr Soleimani.” Casualties among U.S. forces, coalition forces and  personnel are unknown at press time. Press Sec. Stephanie Grisham stated, "We are aware of the reports of the attacks on the U.S. air bases in Iraq. The President has been briefed and is monitoring the situation closely and consulting with his national security team." The Pentagon confirmed Iran used over a dozen ballistic missles in  revenge strikes that impacted both the Al-Asad base in the Anbar province and Erbil in the northern province. The Gaurd has warned the U.S. not to retaliate in a statement. The Guard issued the warning via a statement carried by Iran’s state-run I...

(The Slice): In defense of Pres. Donald Trump's order to fire a drone on Iran, Sec. of State Mike Pompeo said will brief House Democrats on the Iran situation tomorrow. The funeral processions of Qasem Soleimani were underway today while his the reasoning for his murder remains unsettled in the U.S. While most Americans do not Pompeo told reporters the events that occurred days before the air strike that killed the top Iranian military commander is evidence of imminence as to why the U.S. took action. The president's actions were legal he said. Democrats are looking for specific details about what took place that reflected "imminent danger," to determine whether Pres. Trump may have committed a war crime. A level of urgency that matches Trump tweeted that the U.S. will target cultural sites, which could be a violation of International laws related to dealing with conflicts. Senate Minority leader Chuck Schumer and other Democratic lawmak...

Top leaders headed to Florida to brief Pres. trump about air strikes against and IranIan backed militia group in Iraq.Mike Pompeo Mark Esper and Gen Milley delivered the briefing at Mar a Lago ballroom. Pompeo: “We will not stand for the Islamic Republic of Iran to take actions that put American men and women in jeopardy.” Iran has warned there may be ”consequences.” The attack that took place against the Iraqi facility threatened American forces. This has been going on now for weeks and weeks and weeks. This wasn't the first set of attacks against this particular Iraqi facility and others where there were American lives at risk. And today what we did is take a decisive response that makes clear what President Trump has said for months and months and months, which is that we will not stand for the Islamic Republic of Iran to take actions that put American men and women in jeopardy. We will always honor that commitment to take decisive actions when that takes plac...

With the leadership in Israel in question, what allies are prepared to support the U.S. in the face of a fight with Iran? Uncertain about the future of his leadership in Israel, on Wednesday  PM Bejamin Netanyahu  cancelled his trip to the upcoming UN General Assembly meeting in New York.  It was a meeting he only missed once in his 10-year tenure according to the Jerusalem Post, but he cancelled amid political uncertainty whether he will win. The  Blue and White leader Benny Gantz, ran against "Bibi" in an uncalled election. Gantz is expected to  form a new government, which could interfere with future U.S./Israel relations. One of the strongest allies in the region, the U.S. is Israel's largest donor and has been a source of support on Christian and well as political grounds. Before the election Trump was poised to work more closely with Israel, saying this just weeks ago: “I had a call today with Prime Minister Netanyahu to discuss the possi...

By Mona Austin The U.S. has hit Jammal Bank & Trust of Lebanon with sanctions for financing Hezbollah, the terrorist organization connected to carrying out suicide bombings.   The U.S. Department of the Treasury alleges the 50-year-old commercial bank provides financial support to the families of suicide bombers  through the Hezbollah Executive Council and Iran’s Martyrs Foundation. Per the U.S. State Department, Jammal Bank, which is ranked 26th in its country, is the militant group's "bank of choice", but, "This action is a warning to all who provide services to this terrorist group."   The Lebanon's Central Bank is cooperating and said it will ensure depositers are not subject to the sanctions. The U.S. is sending a message to all bad actors who give financial support to Hezbollah, especially Iran. "Of course the same goes for banks connected to Iran. They're going to be severely cut off from international ...