President Trump says he called off retaliatory Iran attack “10 minutes before the strike”
U.S. President Donald Trump has confirmed that he called off a retaliatory attack on Iran just “10 minutes before the strike.”
In a Twitter thread, the U.S. leader reiterated his country’s stance that the Western Asian country shot down an American drone in international airspace.
“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 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!” President Trump tweeted on his personal account.
Iran said the U.S. drone was shot down because it had entered Iranian airspace.
“Iran is not seeking war with any country, but we are fully prepared to defend Iran,” said Major Gen. Hossein Salami, the recently appointed chief of Iran’s elite Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, after the incident.
President Trump had on Thursday told journalists they would “soon find out” whether he would authorize an attack on Iran. He later said he found it “hard to believe” that Iran’s downing of a U.S. drone was intentional.
“I have a feeling that it was a mistake… It’s all going to work out,” he said.
In his Twitter thread on Friday, President Trump also took a swipe at former President Barack Obama, saying the deal that the U.S. had struck with Iran during his administration was a mistake.
“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,” President Trump said.
