President Donald Trump called off a planned strike on Iran meant as a response to the downing of a US military drone, US officials and others familiar with the situation say.
Trump confirms he called off a military strike on Iran
He said he did so only 10 minutes before it was supposed to happen.
That means that the US and Iran could have come extremely close to war — the most worrying moment in the weeks-long standoff between both countries.
Trump tweeted his rationale for calling off the attack on Thursday. “We were cocked & loaded to retaliate last night on 3 different sights when I asked, how many will die. 150 people, sir, was the answer from a General. 10 minutes before the strike I stopped it,” Trump wrote on Friday morning. “[N]ot proportionate to shooting down an unmanned drone. I am in no hurry.”
It’s worth noting that the president probably should have asked how many casualties there might be before ensuring the military was “cocked & loaded.”
Before that decision, Trump had authorized a limited attack on targets like missile batteries and radars in Iran, leading ships and aircraft to prepare for an attack. Two US officials and one person familiar with deliberations tell me there are still plans for striking Iran on Friday night, but it’s possible that plan won’t be put into action.
The explanation for Trump’s reversal Thursday varies wildly. One official said warplanes that could evade Iran’s air defenses, like the B-2 stealth bomber, weren’t ready during the time picked — early morning in Iran — to avoid as many civilian and military casualties as possible. Another said Trump worried an attack might set off an oil shock and hurt the American economy.
Reports also offer differing rationales for Trump’s about-face. One from Reuters, citing Iranian sources, details how Trump warned Iran that he’d strike unless Tehran agreed to talks; when it didn’t, he called off the operation.
Whatever the reason, the bottom line is clear: The US didn’t attack Iran last night because Trump decided it wasn’t worth it — at least for now.
The question now is if Trump will change his mind in the near future.
The New York Times, which first reported Trump’s decision not to strike last night, noted that top advisers like National Security Adviser John Bolton, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, and CIA Director Gina Haspel recommended an attack. The Pentagon, which hasn’t been led by a confirmed defense secretary since December, pushed against a strike.
Fred Fleitz, who previously served as Bolton’s chief of staff in Trump’s National Security Council, told me the president doesn’t want to get into a war but that “the use of force is on the table. He doesn’t want to use force, but he will if he has to.”
The White House and Pentagon didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
