Following reports that President Donald Trump had called off a planned airstrike on Iran Thursday night in response to the Iranian government shooting down an unmanned drone over international waters this week, the president took to Twitter Friday claiming he’d nixed the mission after he was told how many Iranians would die as a result, saying it was “not proportionate to shooting down an unmanned drone.”
....On Monday they shot down an unmanned drone flying in International Waters. We were cocked & loaded to retaliate last night on 3 different sights when I asked, how many will die. 150 people, sir, was the answer from a General. 10 minutes before the strike I stopped it, not....
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 21, 2019
....proportionate to shooting down an unmanned drone. I am in no hurry, our Military is rebuilt, new, and ready to go, by far the best in the world. Sanctions are biting & more added last night. Iran can NEVER have Nuclear Weapons, not against the USA, and not against the WORLD!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 21, 2019
The president also took aim at his predecessor, former President Barack Obama, for signing a “desperate and terrible deal” with Iran allegedly meant to stem the hostile nation’s nuclear weapons program, saying the deal gave Iran “a free path to Nuclear Weapons.”
President Obama made a desperate and terrible deal with Iran - Gave them 150 Billion Dollars plus I.8 Billion Dollars in CASH! Iran was in big trouble and he bailed them out. Gave them a free path to Nuclear Weapons, and SOON. Instead of saying thank you, Iran yelled.....
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 21, 2019
....Death to America. I terminated deal, which was not even ratified by Congress, and imposed strong sanctions. They are a much weakened nation today than at the beginning of my Presidency, when they were causing major problems throughout the Middle East. Now they are Bust!....
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 21, 2019
After news broke Thursday morning that Iran had shot down a U.S. Navy RQ-4A BAMS-D, a surveillance drone used to patrol the Straight of Hormuz, the Iranian Revolutionary Guard claimed they’d taken action after the drone crossed into their air space. The U.S. military, however, has confirmed the drone was flying over international waters at the time it was gunned down, calling it an “unprovoked attack on a U.S. surveillance asset in international airspace."
(Cover Photo: Gage Skidmore)