This is an action that would violate international law and is viewed as a war crime — after top Cabinet officials contradicted his twice-made threat.

“If that’s what the law is — I like to obey the law. But think of it, they kill our people, they blow up our people and then we have to be very gentle with their cultural institutions,” Trump said Tuesday in the Oval Office alongside Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis.

Trump originally made the threat to the sites on Saturday, tweeting that the US had “targeted 52 Iranian sites (representing the 52 American hostages taken by Iran many years ago), some at a very high level & important to Iran & the Iranian culture” adding that “if Iran strikes any Americans, or American assets… Iran itself WILL BE HIT VERY FAST AND VERY HARD.”

But Mr Trump appeared to draw back from a threat to target Iran’s cultural sites should Tehran respond militarily.

Iran was burying Soleimani on Tuesday, but a stampede at the funeral killed 50 people and injured 200 more.

In remarks at the Oval Office, President Trump also addressed the issue of Iraq, saying a US withdrawal of troops would be the worst thing for the country.

His comments came in the wake of a letter, which the US military said had been sent in error, to Iraq’s prime minister, apparently agreeing to a request by Iraqi MPs to pull troops out.

Soleimani’s killing has raised fears of a conflict between the US and Iran.