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.”
Elite school teacher known as ‘Mr Wonderful’ accused of heinous crimes against students
Bombshell New Photos Change the Story for Patriots Coach Mike Vrabel, Move Timeline Years Earlier
Trump Cabinet member scraps Obama-era gender identity housing rule, cites ‘biological reality’
Prominent UFO Researcher Dies in Colorado
ICE nabs illegal aliens convicted of child sex crimes and meth trafficking in nationwide enforcement sweep
Former North Carolina police officer arrested for allegedly planning mass shooting at New Orleans festival
Long Island PTA mom accused of stealing $50K from elementary school while she served as NYPD officer
‘Storage Wars’ Star Darrell ‘The Gambler’ Sheets Found Dead in His Home
Former AG Tells CNN’s Tapper: VA Supreme Court Likely to Invalidate Redistricting Referendum, Possibly 7-0
Todd Blanche targets record denaturalizations in citizenship fraud crackdown
RFK Jr. Blasts Canada’s ‘Abhorrent’ Assisted Suicide Laws: US Can’t Be ‘Moral Society’ by Embracing Them
‘Lame duck’: Jeffries rips DeSantis after Florida invitation as redistricting fight heats up
Transgender Arrested for Allegedly Kidnapping Child and Taking Him Overseas for Gender Surgery
Dems jockeying for Newsom endorsement give passing grades on issue that ignited ‘poop map’ crisis
Report: Iran’s New Supreme Leader to Need Prosthetic Leg After Being Wounded in Strike That Killed His Father
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
Elite school teacher known as ‘Mr Wonderful’ accused of heinous crimes against students
Bombshell New Photos Change the Story for Patriots Coach Mike Vrabel, Move Timeline Years Earlier
Trump Cabinet member scraps Obama-era gender identity housing rule, cites ‘biological reality’
Prominent UFO Researcher Dies in Colorado
ICE nabs illegal aliens convicted of child sex crimes and meth trafficking in nationwide enforcement sweep
Former North Carolina police officer arrested for allegedly planning mass shooting at New Orleans festival
Long Island PTA mom accused of stealing $50K from elementary school while she served as NYPD officer
‘Storage Wars’ Star Darrell ‘The Gambler’ Sheets Found Dead in His Home
Former AG Tells CNN’s Tapper: VA Supreme Court Likely to Invalidate Redistricting Referendum, Possibly 7-0
Todd Blanche targets record denaturalizations in citizenship fraud crackdown
RFK Jr. Blasts Canada’s ‘Abhorrent’ Assisted Suicide Laws: US Can’t Be ‘Moral Society’ by Embracing Them
‘Lame duck’: Jeffries rips DeSantis after Florida invitation as redistricting fight heats up
Transgender Arrested for Allegedly Kidnapping Child and Taking Him Overseas for Gender Surgery
Dems jockeying for Newsom endorsement give passing grades on issue that ignited ‘poop map’ crisis
Report: Iran’s New Supreme Leader to Need Prosthetic Leg After Being Wounded in Strike That Killed His Father
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.
