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.”
FAA scrambles to hire 8,900 air traffic controllers by 2028 as shortage reaches crisis levels
Top military leaders head to Puerto Rico to thank troops supporting Caribbean missions
Rubio claims ‘tremendous amount of progress’ in Ukraine peace talks following Geneva meeting
Kristi Noem unveils $1B TSA modernization plan, awards $10K bonuses to workers who served during shutdown
Duffy identifies Chicago train victim as 26-year-old Bethany MaGee while blasting city’s ‘carelessness’
DOGE closes eight months early, but principles remain ‘alive and well’
Trump claims GOP has ‘never been so united,’ calls Greene and other Republicans ‘lowlifes’
‘ShamWow’ guy files to run for Congress in Texas as Republican candidate
British teen says urine, glue chucked at him while trying to carry on Charlie Kirk’s legacy in UK
Portion of Catholic students kidnapped in Nigeria escape as country grapples with anti-Christian violence
Southern universities reportedly see massive influx of Northeast students seeking sunshine and Greek life
Scottish Lawmakers Refuse to Ban Shocking ‘Assisted Suicides’
Kennedy cousin tied to Martha Moxley case breaks silence 50 years later as murder remains unsolved
Former TV anchor heads to same prison as Ghislaine Maxwell after $63M COVID fraud conviction
Divine Judgment? Iran Experiencing Record Drought, Tehran Faces Evacuation
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
FAA scrambles to hire 8,900 air traffic controllers by 2028 as shortage reaches crisis levels
Top military leaders head to Puerto Rico to thank troops supporting Caribbean missions
Rubio claims ‘tremendous amount of progress’ in Ukraine peace talks following Geneva meeting
Kristi Noem unveils $1B TSA modernization plan, awards $10K bonuses to workers who served during shutdown
Duffy identifies Chicago train victim as 26-year-old Bethany MaGee while blasting city’s ‘carelessness’
DOGE closes eight months early, but principles remain ‘alive and well’
Trump claims GOP has ‘never been so united,’ calls Greene and other Republicans ‘lowlifes’
‘ShamWow’ guy files to run for Congress in Texas as Republican candidate
British teen says urine, glue chucked at him while trying to carry on Charlie Kirk’s legacy in UK
Portion of Catholic students kidnapped in Nigeria escape as country grapples with anti-Christian violence
Southern universities reportedly see massive influx of Northeast students seeking sunshine and Greek life
Scottish Lawmakers Refuse to Ban Shocking ‘Assisted Suicides’
Kennedy cousin tied to Martha Moxley case breaks silence 50 years later as murder remains unsolved
Former TV anchor heads to same prison as Ghislaine Maxwell after $63M COVID fraud conviction
Divine Judgment? Iran Experiencing Record Drought, Tehran Faces Evacuation
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.
