RT |
Donald Trump warned Tehran about an imminent attack as retaliation for a downed US drone, also giving “limited” time to respond, Reuters says. Trump reportedly ordered the strikes, but then pulled back.
Not a single missile had been fired when the order came to pull back
The US president “gave a short period of time to get our response but Iran’s immediate response was that it is up to Supreme Leader [Ayatollah Ali] Khamenei to decide about this issue,” an Iranian official told the news agency.
Trump apparently also claimed he was not eager to start a war, but wanted to talk over “various issues” with Tehran.
Trump abruptly called off military strikes against Iran after approving them in response to Iran shooting down a US drone earlier this week, several media outlets, reported on June, 20.
“Pompeo, Bolton, & Haspel favored a military response. But top Pentagon officials cautioned that such an action could result in a spiraling escalation with risks for American forces in the region” >>> https://t.co/qjUQmYO86X
— Jacqueline Alemany (@JaxAlemany) June 21, 2019
The operation was already underway with ships moving to their positions and combat aircraft taking off. However, not a single missile had been fired when the order came to pull back, a senior administration official told the New York Times.
Fear of the US starting an all-out war against Iran has existed for some time. The Pentagon deployed additional forces to the region, including long-range bombers and a carrier strike group, just as the White House ratcheted up rhetoric against Tehran.
Read more: Pentagon advises Trump to show restraint over Iran
Donald Trump himself has recently said he would strike Iran over its nuclear program despite warnings that such an attack could trigger a major crisis in the Middle East.
Moscow has long opposed US intervention plans, urging Washington to stop “before it’s too late.” President Vladimir Putin, for his part, recently warned that a potential US strike could trigger “a disaster in the region.”
RT with additional input by GVS News Desk