West Palm Bwach, Jan 4 (AFP) President Donald Trump on Friday said top Iranian general Qasem Soleimani was "terminated" when he was on the verge of attacking US diplomats but he insisted that Washington is not seeking to topple Iran's government.

"Soleimani was plotting imminent and sinister attacks on American diplomats and military personnel, but we caught him in the act and terminated him," Trump said in a statement before television cameras in Florida.

While referring to the Iranian military mastermind, killed in a US air attack earlier Friday in Baghdad, as "sick," Trump attempted to lower tensions by insisting that he does not want war with Iran.

"We took action last night to stop a war. We did not take action to start a war," he said, adding: "We do not seek regime change." (AFP)

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