WEATHER 12 FORECAST.
(MM)
BUT FIRST TONIGHT AT ELEVEN ---
WE BEGIN WITH THAT BREAKING NEWS
---
IRAN BEGINS ITS RETALIATION
AGAINST THE UNITED STATES.
THE PENTAGON CONFIRMING ----
IRAN HAS FIRED MORE THAN A DOZEN
BALLISTIC MISSILES AT-- TWO OR
MORE U-S BASES IN IRAQ.
I'M MIKE MONTECALVO.
(HE)
AND I'M SHANNON HEGY.
WE FIRST TOLD YOU ABOUT THE
ATTACK ON EYEWITNESS NEWS AT
SIX-THIRTY OVER ON FOX
PROVIDENCE.
IT COMES AFTER PRESIDENT TRUMP
AGAIN WARNED IRAN THEY WOULD BE
HIT HARD IF THEY STRUCK AMERICAN
TARGETS.
EYEWITNESS NEWS REPORTER NATALIE
BRAND IS ON CAPITOL HILL ---
WHERE THE ADMINISTATION BEGAN
BRIEFING LAWMAKERS BEFORE THIS
LATEST ESCALATION.
IRAN CLAIMED RESPONSIBILITY FOR
AN ATTACK ON U-S TARGETS IN
IRAQ--AFTER THREATENING
RETALIATION FOR THE KILLING OF
ITS TOP GENERAL LAST WEEK.
TUESDAY NIGHT--IRANIAN STATE
TELEVISION AIRED THIS VIDE OF
WHAT IT SAID WERE MISSILES BEING
FIRED.
"It's a show of use-of-force, we
will go toe-to-toe, tit-for-tat
with you."
THE PENTAGON CONFIRMS MORE THAN
A DOZEN BALLISTIC MISSLES WERE
LAUNCHED FROM *INSIDE
IRAN...AGAINST U.S. AND
COALITION FORCES IN IRAQ.
ONE TARGET WAS IN ERBIL IN
NORTHERN IRAQ:
we heard two large explosions
here//shortly after those
explosions we heard helicopters
in the air buzzing Erbil.
THE OTHER TARGET WAS THE AL-ASAD
AIR BASE...ABOUT 100 MILES
NORTHWEST OF BAGHDAD.
IT'S HOME TO U.S. SERVICE
PERSONNEL.
PRESIDENT TRUMP MADE A SURPRISE
VISIT TO THE BASE IN DECEMBER OF
2018....AND VICE PRESIDENT MIKE
PENCE MADE AN APPEARANCE THERE
THIS PAST NOVEMBER.
PRIOR TO THE ATTACK, PRESIDENT
TRUMP REPEATED A DIRE WARNING TO
THE REGIME:
if iran does anything that they
shouldn't be doing, they're
going to be suffering the
consequences, and very strongly.
strongly.
consequences, and very going to
be suffering the shouldn't be
doing, they're if iran does
anything that they shouldn't be
doing, they're going to be
suffering the consequences, and
very strongly.
THE VICE PRESIDENT CALLED TOP
CONGRESSIONAL LEADERS TO INFORM
THEM OF THE ATTACKS. THEY HAD
JUST BEEN BRIEFED IN PERSON
ABOUT THE INTELLIGENCE BEHIND
LAST WEEK'S KILLING OF IRAN'S
TOP GENERAL.
LAWMAKERS REACTING TO THE
ATTACKS HAVE QUESTIONS:
"Right now we're in a defensive
posture what we don't know is if
this the first of more than one
wave."
"I am questioning whether or not
the Trump administration has a
coherent strategy for what to do
next."
LATE TUESDAY, PRESIDENT TRUMP
MET WITH HIS TOP ADVISORS AT THE
WHITE HOUSE.
HE TWEETED:
"....ASSESSMENT OF CASUALTIES
AND DAMAGES TAKING PLACE NOW.
SO FAR, SO GOOD!"
THE PRESIDENT SAID HE'LL MAKE A
STATEMENT WEDNESDAY MORNING.
(HE)
IRAN'S FOREIGN MINISTER TWEETED
THE ACTION WAS TAKEN IN SELF
DEFENSE FOR THE KILLINGS OF ITS
CITIZENS AND SENIOR OFFICIALS.
HE SAID THE REGIME DOES NOT WANT
ESCALATION OR WAR...BUT WILL
DEFEND ITSELF AGAINST
AGGRESSION.
(MM)
NEW TONIGHT --
THE F-A-A ISSUED FLIGHT
RESTRICTIONS ---
BANNING ALL U-S PLANES FROM
FLYING OVER IRAQ AND IRAN...AS
WELL AS THE PERSIAN GULF AND
GULF OF OMAN.
(HE)
AND MEMBERS OF THE RHODE ISLAND
CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATION ARE
ALSO RESPONDING TO THIS ATTACK.
EYEWITNESS NEWS REPORTER
CAROLINE GOGGIN JOINS US LIVE IN
STUDIO WITH WHAT THEY'RE
SAYING...
(CG)
I SPOKE WITH SENATOR REED --
SHORTLY AFTER THE NEWS BROKE
TONIGHT.
HE TELLS ME --- HE GOT A CALL
FROM THE SECRETARY OF DEFENSE
AROUND 6:30 THIS EVENING...
INDICATING THE IRANIANS HAD
FIRED MISSLES *FROM IRAN* ---
HITTING THE AL ASSAD AIR BASE...
AND ERBIL.
TONIGHT --- SENATOR REED SAYS
THEY ARE STILL ASSESSING THE
CASULATIES... AND THE DAMAGES TO
THE FACILITIES.
HE'S BEEN TO IRAQ MORE THAN 20
TIMES --
AND TO BOTH AL ASSAD AIR BASE...
AND ERBIL.
"Al Assad is a very very big
base in the middle of a desert,
essentially. There is nothing
much around it. It is a major
military base. Erbil is our
facility on the outskirts of a
major facility in Kurdistan."
SENATOR JACK REED SAYS HE WAS
JUST AT THE AL ASSAD BASE IN
2017 ---
CALLING IT A TRAINING CENTER...
WITH NATO AND U-S PERSONNEL.
HE CALLS TUESDAY NIGHT'S MISSILE
STRIKES ---- A DELIBERATE
ATTACK...
ADDING THE IRANIAN GOVERNMENT
HAD INDICATED *IT INTENDED TO
TAKE DIRECT MILITARY ACTION --
FOLLOWING THE TARGETED KILLING
OF IRANIAN GENERAL{KAH-SI}
QASSEM SOLEIMANI.
"This was shocking but no
surprise. They did exactly what
they said they were going to do
based on their reaction to the
killing of Solemmani."
SO WHAT COMES NEXT?
SENATOR REED ... A RANKING
MEMBER ON THE ARMED SERVICES
COMMITTEE... SAID THE FOCUS
RIGHT NOW --- SHOULD BE WHAT'S
HAPPENING ON THE GROUND IN IRAQ.
HE SAYS THAT --- WILL HAVE A
SIGNIFCANT INFLUENCE ---- ON
WHAT DIRECTION THE U-S WILL
TAKE.
"the President, the
administration, has to be very
conscious of avoiding an
escalatory spiral where we
respond, the Iranians respond,
and before you know it, we are
in an all-out open warfare with
the Iranians, which will be
devastating, not only to the
region but to the many of our
personnel that are there."
(CG)
WE'RE ALSO HEARING FROM OTHER
MEMBERS OF THE RHODE ISLAND
DELEGATION.
SENATOR SHELDON WHITEHOUSE ---
SENDING OVER A STATEMENT IN THE
LAST HOUR.
SAYING IN PART,
" I URGE THE PRESIDENT --- AND
HIS ADVISERS ---- TO CHOOSE A
COURSE OF ACTION THAT SERVES
AMERICA'S INTERESTS, SAFEGUARDS
AMERICAN LIVES, AND REDUCES THE
RISK OF FURTHER CONFLICT."
(CG)
RHODE ISLAND CONGRESSMAN JIM
LANGEVIN RESPONDING TO TONIGHT'S
NEWS IN A TWEET ---
SAYING, "I AM PRAYING FOR THE
SAFETY AND WELL BEING OF
AMERICANS ---- AND ALLIES IN
IRAQ AND CLOSELY MONITORING THE
SITUATION."
(CG)
CONGRESSMAN DAVID CICILLINE ALSO
TWEETING TONIGHT...
"MAY GOD BLESS ---- AND KEEP OUR
BRAVE MEN AND WOMEN WHO ARE
SERVING IN THE MIDDLE EAST
TONIGHT.
(CG)
AND JUST IN TONIGHT --
WE'RE LEARNING OF REPORTS OF A
PLANE CRASH NEAR THE IRANIAN
CAPITAL ---
180-PASSENGERS WERE ON BAORD.
WE WILL HAVE THE LATEST ON THE
CRASH STARTING ON EYEWITNESS
NEWS THIS MORNING AT 4-30 ---
AND OF COURSE AS WE PREVIOUSLY
MENTIONED --
PRESIDENT TRUMP WILL BE MAKING A
STATEMENT -- IN THE MORNING AS
WELL.