US President Donald Trump said Thursday that Tehran had made a “very big mistake” in shooting down a US spy drone near the strategic Strait of Hormuz.
“They made a very big mistake,” Trump told reporters at the White House following the strike near the strategic Strait of Hormuz. “This country will not stand for it, that I can tell you.”
Asked by a reporter if he plans order a strike on Iran in response to the downing of the drone, Trump said: “You will find out.”
But Trump simultaneously appeared to play down the incident saying it may have been unintentional.
Amid the rising tensions, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu gave his backing to Trump, appealing to “all peace-loving countries” to support American efforts to halt what he called escalating Iranian provocations.
Speaking Thursday at a reception in Jerusalem for New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft, Netanyahu said that “in the last 24 hours, Iran has intensified its aggression against the United States and against all of us,” adding that “Israel stands by the United States and its military.”
White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said Thursday Trump had been briefed Wednesday night and again Thursday morning about the incident. She said the administration would also keep in touch with lawmakers on Capitol Hill.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guard said it shot down the drone over Iranian airspace. The US military is calling the downing an “unprovoked attack” and said it occurred over international airspace in the Strait of Hormuz. A US general said the drone was taken down some 34 kilometres (21 miles) off the Iranian coast.
Iran made a very big mistake!— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 20, 2019
The downing of the drone came as Iran was already accused by Washington — as well as allies Saudi Arabia, Germany and others — of having carried out bomb attacks on two oil tankers in the congested Hormuz area. Tehran denies having been behind the attacks but has frequently threatened in the past to block the sea lanes used by ships to move much of the world’s oil exports.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, meanwhile, insisted Thursday the US was lying about the location of the drone and vowed to “take this new aggression” to the United Nations.
The US wages #EconomicTerrorism on Iran, has conducted covert action against us & now encroaches on our territory.We don't seek war, but will zealously defend our skies, land & waters.We'll take this new aggression to #UN & show that the US is lying about international waters— Javad Zarif (@JZarif) June 20, 2019“The US wages #EconomicTerrorism on Iran, has conducted covert action against us & now encroaches on our territory. We don’t seek war, but will zealously defend our skies, land & waters. We’ll take this new aggression to #UN & show that the US is lying about international waters,” he said on Twitter.
As for the possibility of Iran developing nuclear weapons, Graham said it’s imperative that the US clearly tell the Iranians that any attempt to increase uranium enrichment will be seen as a “hostile act against the United States and our allies in Israel and will not go unanswered.” Graham added that if a US military response is necessary, it should be focused on Iranian naval assets and oil refineries, which are the economic lifeblood of the country.
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