The New York Times reported Thursday evening that President Donald Trump ordered air and naval strikes against Iranian targets in response to the shooting down of a U.S. Navy drone earlier that day, but canceled them “abruptly.”
The Times reported:
President Trump approved military strikes against Iran in retaliation for downing an American surveillance drone, but pulled back from launching them on Thursday night after a day of escalating tensions.
…
The operation was underway in its early stages when it was called off, a senior administration official said. Planes were in the air and ships were in position, but no missiles had been fired when word came to stand down, the official said.
…
It was not clear whether Mr. Trump simply changed his mind on the strikes or whether the administration altered course because of logistics or strategy. It was also not clear whether the attacks might still go forward.
The Times added a curious detail: “No government officials asked The New York Times to withhold the article.”
Fact Check: No, the Comey Prosecutor Did Not Mislead Grand Jurors, Regardless of What the Biden-Appointed Judge Says
Even CNN Can’t Believe Jasmine Crockett’s Absurd Excuse for False Epstein Accusation Against Trump Official
Climate deadlines collide with politics as Dem-led states chase Big Oil in court but spare local refiners
Dem lawmaker sets litmus test for party with 5th Trump impeachment effort
Touchdown: Trump’s New Jersey Generals jacket auctioned for $18,658
Decamillionaires in Congress make taxpayers pay for their lodging and lunches
House members react to indictment of Florida Democrat: ‘Most egregious abuses of public trust’
Shapiro responds to illegal immigrant trucker fiasco – says driver was in fed database first
Trump labels 6 Democrats who told troops to refuse unlawful orders ‘traitors’ who should be arrested
Another One: Man Accused of Setting Woman on Fire on Chicago Train Has 49 Previous Arrests, 10 Felonies
Shock Video: Adult Inexplicably Orders Child, 9, to Move Car – Neighbor’s Cam Caught Chaos That Followed
Biden’s Legacy: Illegal Driving 18-Wheeler Allegedly Killed National Guardsman, 23, in Another Needless Wreck
Holiday crime fears grow as ‘jugging’ thieves target shoppers carrying cash and gifts: ‘Only a matter of time’
It Was an Invasion – Huge Swaths of Students Missing From Classrooms as ICE Begins Enforcing Law in Charlotte, NC
Republicans facing ‘worst-case scenario’ in redistricting war as midterm elections near
Trump’s critics accused him of “cold feet.” But the fact that the administration did not try to stop the story also suggests it could have been leaked deliberately. Indeed, at least one other reporter claimed he had received similar information:
.@nytimes scooping me again. I was sitting on this information for six hours. Can confirm this reporting. https://t.co/SLgwuKeAO4
— Jim LaPorta (@JimLaPorta) June 21, 2019
Fact Check: No, the Comey Prosecutor Did Not Mislead Grand Jurors, Regardless of What the Biden-Appointed Judge Says
Even CNN Can’t Believe Jasmine Crockett’s Absurd Excuse for False Epstein Accusation Against Trump Official
Climate deadlines collide with politics as Dem-led states chase Big Oil in court but spare local refiners
Dem lawmaker sets litmus test for party with 5th Trump impeachment effort
Touchdown: Trump’s New Jersey Generals jacket auctioned for $18,658
Decamillionaires in Congress make taxpayers pay for their lodging and lunches
House members react to indictment of Florida Democrat: ‘Most egregious abuses of public trust’
Shapiro responds to illegal immigrant trucker fiasco – says driver was in fed database first
Trump labels 6 Democrats who told troops to refuse unlawful orders ‘traitors’ who should be arrested
Another One: Man Accused of Setting Woman on Fire on Chicago Train Has 49 Previous Arrests, 10 Felonies
Shock Video: Adult Inexplicably Orders Child, 9, to Move Car – Neighbor’s Cam Caught Chaos That Followed
Biden’s Legacy: Illegal Driving 18-Wheeler Allegedly Killed National Guardsman, 23, in Another Needless Wreck
Holiday crime fears grow as ‘jugging’ thieves target shoppers carrying cash and gifts: ‘Only a matter of time’
It Was an Invasion – Huge Swaths of Students Missing From Classrooms as ICE Begins Enforcing Law in Charlotte, NC
Republicans facing ‘worst-case scenario’ in redistricting war as midterm elections near
Trump tweeted Thursday morning that “Iran made a very big mistake!”, but later suggested that the “mistake” may have simply been an accident. In the double meaning of the word “mistake,” he preserved both the threat of retaliation and the possibility of a diplomatic solution.
Regardless, Iran will know how close it was to being attacked, and still is.
Story cited here.
