WASHINGTON – US President Donald Trump has approved military strikes against Iran in retaliation for the downing of surveillance drone, but pulled back from launching the attacks.
According to the New York Times newspaper, the strikes were set to take place just before dawn on Friday to minimize risk to the Iranian military or to civilians.
It said planes were in the air and ships were in position, but no missiles fired, when the order to stand down came.
White House and Pentagon officials declined to comment, the Times said, and it was unclear whether there were plans for such strikes to go forward in the future.
Earlier, the US president tweeted that “Iran made a very big mistake!”, after Iran shot down a US drone in the southern province of Hormozgan.
https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1141711064305983488
Revolutionary Guards targeted the “RQ-4 Global Hawk” when it entered Iran’s airspace “near the Kouhmobarak district in the south,” the State news agency IRNA reported this while quoted the Guard’s news website, Sepah News, on Thursday.
https://en.dailypakistan.com.pk/world/iran-shoots-down-us-drone-aircraft-over-its-territory/
General Hossein Salami, the commander of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard, said the incident sent “a clear message” to the US, adding that although Iran does “not have any intention for war with any country, we are ready for war.”
Rising tensions
Tensions between Washington and Tehran have escalated over the past month, with the US accusing Iran of continued malign activity and unspecified threats against the United States and its allies. Washington has also increased its military presence in the region.
The US accused Iran last week of attacking Japanese and Norwegian flagged tankers near the strategic Strait of Hormuz. Washington released video and pictures purporting to show a Revolutionary Guard boat removing an unexploded limpet mine.
Iranian officials rejected US claims that Tehran was behind the blasts.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel said Tuesday there was “strong evidence” Iran was behind the twin tanker attacks.
