President Trump Donald John TrumpBarr criticizes DOJ in speech declaring all agency power 'is invested in the attorney general' Military leaders asked about using heat ray on protesters outside White House: report Powell warns failure to reach COVID-19 deal could 'scar and damage' economy MORE tweeted Friday that Iran “never won a war, but never lost a negotiation” hours after the Pentagon confirmed that he ordered an airstrike that killed a top Iranian commander in Iraq.

Trump, who has yet to publicly address the details of the actual decision, sent the tweet early Friday morning after retweeting a number of messages about the strike, including a State Department travel advisory urging American citizens to leave Iraq immediately due to heightened tensions in the region.

“Iran never won a war, but never lost a negotiation!” Trump wrote.

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Iran never won a war, but never lost a negotiation! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 3, 2020

It was not immediately clear if Trump would further clarify the message or whether he plans to address the strike in an extended fashion at some point in the near future. The White House has remained relatively silent on the strike beyond sharing the statement from the Pentagon describing it as “decisive defensive action to protect U.S. personnel abroad.”

Trump tweeted an image of the American flag with no text shortly before the Pentagon announcement late Thursday and following reports that an airstrike had killed Maj. Gen. Qassem Soleimani, the head of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps' Quds Force.

Trump has earned praise from Republicans for authorizing the strike against Soleimani, who is believed to have been responsible for the deaths of hundreds of American soldiers over the years.

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Trump’s decision marked a major escalation in his confrontation with Tehran.

Democrats have warned of destabilizing consequences of the move while criticizing the administration for failing to properly notify Congress. By Friday morning, Iran was promising a “harsh retaliation.”

Tensions in the region have spiked in recent days after a rocket attack killed an American contractor in Iraq on Dec. 27. Washington has blamed Iran for the attack.

“General Soleimani was actively developing plans to attack American diplomats and service members in Iraq and throughout the region,” the Pentagon said in a statement late Thursday.

“This strike was aimed at deterring future Iranian attack plans. The United States will continue to take all necessary action to protect our people and our interests wherever they are around the world,” the Pentagon said.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo Michael (Mike) Richard PompeoThe Hill's Morning Report - Sponsored by The Air Line Pilots Association - Pence lauds Harris as 'experienced debater'; Trump, Biden diverge over debate prep Trump's foreign policy successes confound his detractors It's time for a Jackson-Vanik Amendment for China MORE held a number of calls with foreign counterparts, including those in the United Kingdom and China, early Friday to discuss the developments and state that the U.S. “remains committed to de-escalation,” according to the State Department.

Updated at 8:29 a.m.