US military was cocked and loaded to retaliate, but 150 Iranian lives not proportionate to a drone, says Donald Trump
US military was cocked and loaded to retaliate, but 150 Iranian lives not proportionate to a drone, says Donald Trump
His statement comes hours after Iran claimed it could have shot down US Navy P-8 Poseidon with 35 on board, but chose drone to ‘send a message to Americans’.
US President Donald Trump Friday claimed that the American military was ready to launch a retaliatory strike against Iran to avenge the shooting down of its drone but he called off the attack just minutes before it was to be carried out. Trump tweeted that he stopped the military strike as the attack would have resulted in the loss of only 150 Iranian lives, which according to him were not in proportion to the loss of the US BAMS-D RQ-4A Global Hawk High-Altitude Long Endurance (HALE) Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS).
“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, not proportionate to shooting down an unmanned drone,” tweeted the US President.
His statement comes hours after Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Aerospace Force claimed that it could have brought down a US Navy P-8 Poseidon aircraft violating its airspace, but instead chose to hit the RQ-4A Global Hawk to send a message and “warn the terrorist forces of the US”.
The downing of the drone, which Iran insists violated its airspace, a claim Washington previously denied, has seen tensions between the two countries spike after a series of attacks on tankers which Washington alleged were carried out on Tehran’s behest. However, Trump’s latest Twitter statement points towards the US-Iran flashpoint on the verge of ignition.
Trump also suggested that new sanctions have been imposed on Iran, but he did not elaborate on it.
“I am in no hurry, our Military is rebuilt, new, and ready to go, by far the best in the world. Sanctions are biting & more added last night. Iran can NEVER have Nuclear Weapons, not against the USA, and not against the WORLD!,” added Trump
