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.”
Rubio says US has no plan to use force in Venezuela — but warns ‘imminent threat’ could change that
FBI agents search election hub in Fulton County, Georgia
Op-Ed: How Pro-Life Republican Leaders Are Delaying the End of Abortion
Watch: As Chants Ring Out About Lynching Kristi Noem, Clueless Lib Protesters Realize to Their Horror Who They’re in Bed With
Anheuser-Busch praised for patriotic Budweiser Super Bowl ad after Bud Light controversy
Child Sex Abuse Material Made with AI Surges to Shocking New Levels
Tom Homan Issues Statement After Meeting with Tim Walz and Jacob Frey
Ilhan Omar backed by House Republicans after Minnesota town hall attack
Vandals hit Yosemite National Park with graffiti on boulder, more
Privacy concerns, discrimination, doctor pushback: the compliance traps looming behind sex-separated sports
Trump threatens attack on Iran worse than ‘Midnight Hammer’ with military buildup in the region
90-year-old woman who wandered outside during winter storm among 10 dead in New York City
Trump endorses Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy’s son-in-law for Congress
Xi Jinping’s purge of generals sets grim tone for annual Communist Party meetings
Democrats request money while consoling after Minneapolis deaths of Alex Pretti and Renee Good
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
Rubio says US has no plan to use force in Venezuela — but warns ‘imminent threat’ could change that
FBI agents search election hub in Fulton County, Georgia
Op-Ed: How Pro-Life Republican Leaders Are Delaying the End of Abortion
Watch: As Chants Ring Out About Lynching Kristi Noem, Clueless Lib Protesters Realize to Their Horror Who They’re in Bed With
Anheuser-Busch praised for patriotic Budweiser Super Bowl ad after Bud Light controversy
Child Sex Abuse Material Made with AI Surges to Shocking New Levels
Tom Homan Issues Statement After Meeting with Tim Walz and Jacob Frey
Ilhan Omar backed by House Republicans after Minnesota town hall attack
Vandals hit Yosemite National Park with graffiti on boulder, more
Privacy concerns, discrimination, doctor pushback: the compliance traps looming behind sex-separated sports
Trump threatens attack on Iran worse than ‘Midnight Hammer’ with military buildup in the region
90-year-old woman who wandered outside during winter storm among 10 dead in New York City
Trump endorses Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy’s son-in-law for Congress
Xi Jinping’s purge of generals sets grim tone for annual Communist Party meetings
Democrats request money while consoling after Minneapolis deaths of Alex Pretti and Renee Good
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.
