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.”
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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
Senate GOP initiates Thune-engineered slow down as Schumer looks to stack judicial votes
TSA intercepts loaded handgun found in flight crew member’s carry-on at DC-area airport
Pro-Palestinian Activist Convicted of Murdering American and Israeli Has Been Released from Prison Despite Never Regretting Killings
Trump nominates former Rep. Sean Duffy as transportation secretary
Election Integrity Win: Swing State Supreme Court Drops Huge Ruling, Making Top Democrat’s Loss Even Worse
Trump nominates former Wisconsin Rep. Sean Duffy for Secretary of Transportation
Austin Theriault’s campaign requests recount in Maine House race
Trump campaign official says Pennsylvania Dems will face jail time over ballot recount
Fox News Politics: Trump border czar pick fires back at House Dem critic
MTA board approves Democrat Gov. Hochul’s massive NYC congestion pricing toll reboot
Dem AZ Attorney General Drops Investigation Into Trump’s Comments About Cheney and Guns
White House, Ohio, and Jewish leaders condemn ‘sickening display’ at neo-Nazi march
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Trump allies warn Biden risking ‘World War III’ by authorizing long-range missiles for Ukraine
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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.
