Officials say that US President Donald Trump ordered the US military to conduct military strikes against Iranian military targets but later changed his mind “while warplanes were in the air”.

The strikes would have been in retaliation for downing an American surveillance drone the day prior.

President Trump reportedly changed his mind hours later and ordered an immediate stop to the operation while American aircraft were in the air and warships were in position.

Media outlets such as the New York Times and ABC News reported that Trump had ordered a military strike on Iran on the 20th of  June, but withdrew his decision while the strike was being planned. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and National Security Adviser John Bolton reportedly objected to the reversal.

Shortly before, Trump had tweeted that “Iran made a very big mistake” after a top Iranian commander warned Iran was “ready for war.”

Gen. Hossein Salami, commander of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, offered a strongly worded threat to the U.S. after the drone was downed.

“Shooting down the American spy drone had a clear, decisive, firm and accurate message,” he said, translated from Farsiby CSLL.

“The message is that the guardians of the borders of Islamic Iran will decisively respond to the violation of any stranger to this land. The only solution for the enemies is to respect the territorial integrity and national interests of Iran.”

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George has a degree in Cyber Security from Glasgow Caledonian University and has a keen interest in naval and cyber security matters and has appeared on national radio and television to discuss current events. George is on Twitter at @geoallison
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maurice10
maurice10
4 years ago

The domino effect from any direct US action could be very difficult to limit. If as reported the continuum of nuclear weapons has been approved by Iranian officials, something or someone is bound to react, and it could come from a third party? Fuel prices are bound to rise in the coming days and months, and China’s dependency on energy from the region poses another headache for the Global economy? I’m sure the Britsih and European governments were approached by the Whitehouse on the strikes, and possibly turned the Presidents decision? Whatever happened, the intention was clear and could come… Read more »

Rob T
Rob T
4 years ago
Reply to  maurice10

Re your last. Unlike other State Actors such as Russia or China, there are competing factions within Iran which makes it more difficult to pin on the government. The IRGC in particular operates with a great deal of autonomy, they could well have attacked the ships themselves or via proxies without the prior knowledge of the Iranian government.

Russ
Russ
4 years ago
Reply to  Rob T

Apparently there is a battle for control of the IRGC. Seems Kamenie is fed up of Maj Soleimani who’s fed up with him and the civilian president Rouhani is fed up with both of them. Then you have your average Iranian Ali / Alison who have just about had it with all of em. So the people are fed up with a confused shambolic self adoring bunch of politicians – one of whom is a loose cannon; now where have i heard that before.

maurice10
maurice10
4 years ago
Reply to  Rob T

This lack of a clear target makes the typical military response less viable. If the US can’t land a killer blow and change official Iranian foreign policy, it might just be a waste of time? This tangled melange of various faction at odds with one another, could be extremely dangerous going forward. A little like the political landscape in the UK right now?

Reg Vernon
Reg Vernon
4 years ago

Methinks this indicates weak decision-making by Trump. It will embolden Iran.

dave12
dave12
4 years ago
Reply to  Reg Vernon

Trumps decision making on foreign policy is a flick of the coin ,heads or tales.

Julian1
Julian1
4 years ago
Reply to  dave12

He’s impulsive and lives in the moment, my daughter has ADD, many of the same traits. Totally I’ll equipped for his role.

dave12
dave12
4 years ago
Reply to  Julian1

Yep,,,We need the like button back on UKDJ.

Bob Hodges
Bob Hodges
4 years ago

I wouldn’t be surprised if the US starts flying more unmanned stuff up and down the same corridor…….just with something a bit cheaper than a Triton. A QF-16 or two would be excellent ‘trolling’ tools.

I agree that this all like like a cynical attempt to provoke Iran.

Bloke down the pub
Bloke down the pub
4 years ago

Not sure of the timings but if evidence had come to light that the Triton was in Iranian airspace and not over international waters as previously claimed by the US military, Trump may have concluded that he was being manipulated by his own side and decided to pull the plug.

julian1
julian1
4 years ago

he stated yesterday that he had the positioning records to prove it was in international airspace or was that just lies and fake news?

Patrick
Patrick
4 years ago

His boss in the Kremlin gave him new orders.

Alex T
Alex T
4 years ago
Reply to  Patrick

Wombat.

julian1
julian1
4 years ago
Reply to  Alex T

why? he’s in Putin’s pocket. Putin has the video tapes and the urine stained sheets

dave12
dave12
4 years ago
Reply to  Patrick

lol spot on

Daniele Mandelli
Daniele Mandelli
4 years ago

Would not surprise me if the UAV was over Iran. Who else has a history of violating other nations airspace with impunity or flying round their borders? Only the US has the assets and the worldwide facilities to do this.

Back in 83 the Russians shot down an airliner thinking it was a RC135.

Incidents like this are inevitable.

Don’t know if this story is true or bluff. If true, does TLAM have an abort option once launched?

HF
HF
4 years ago

The UK did in the 50’s when, with the Canberra, only it had the means to do so, at US request. Still, horrible though the Iran regime may be, every time I see these things from the USA I remember the Gulf of Tonkin ‘incident’.

Daniele Mandelli
Daniele Mandelli
4 years ago
Reply to  HF

Tonkin. Yes. Yes the RAF was involved in overflights of the Soviet Union. Chris H has covered that at length here before. US D21 drones over China. Recc flights all around the periphery of the USSR. USN Orions off China now. U2’s right over the Urals. The Sentinel UAV brought down when violating Iranian airspace from the east over Afghanistan. U2s operating from Akrotiri. Reapers all over Somalia and the Yemen. This is normal and sometimes a nation will be pissed off with it and take action. I’m not defending Iran and there’s wrong on all sides but I’d find… Read more »

HF
HF
4 years ago

Much as I value the USA as an ally they do have the strange idea that anything they want to do is justified, just because it’s them.

Chris H
Chris H
4 years ago
Reply to  HF

@HF – I think that can be classified as ‘Back of the Net Sir!’

Russ
Russ
4 years ago

All subjective as with Trump you never know but what was noticeable was neither Macron who has been very critical of Iran or the shambles that is UK . Gov came out in support of the US assertion. Perhaps was there was no international outcry the Drone actually was in Iranian airspace as publicised by US media when the story first broke. But with Trump as you say he could have decided to play golf instead.

Cam
Cam
4 years ago
Reply to  Russ

Yeah I thought they said “in Iranian airspace” to begin with! I watch American news channels all the time

Douglas Newell
Douglas Newell
4 years ago
Reply to  Russ

Even the Iranian TV report showed the US Drone flying down the middle of Straits, they argue it strayed into their airspace. US argues not. As it stands, Trump decided that he didn’t want to make a decision that directly led to the deaths of about 150 people. Given his history as a Businessman (and all round doofus) he’s not a military man, and that is huge responsibility to take. I wouldn’t be surprised if he eventually has to make that decision for a punitive raid eventually, as the Iranians are feeling their oats and are clearly spoiling for a… Read more »

Expat
Expat
4 years ago

The alarming thing is they we’re able to down the drone. The MQ4 is supposed to

Looks to me Iran have seen the capabilities of US drones, capturing some nice pics and video of them removing a mine from a commercial tanker. Realise they need to make the Strait of Hormuz a no fly zone if they don’t want to get caught again. They can claim the drone was in their airspace they know it’s their word against the Americans and the public will never get the facts.

Helions
Helions
4 years ago

There has to be proportionality with an armed response to these situations. A Drone is not the equivalent of a large number of lost lives and new “Martyrs” for the Iranian regime.

I would have seized an Iranian tanker asset, released the crew, and sold the ship and cargo to compensate us.

https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2019-06-21/trump-backs-down-military-strike-iran-last-minute

Cheers.

dave12
dave12
4 years ago
Reply to  Helions

Good idea.

Andrew
Andrew
4 years ago

I take a slightly different view…. Perhaps this is Trump standing up to the Hawks in Washington… personally, I think John Bolton is far more dangerous than Trump….

julian1
julian1
4 years ago
Reply to  Andrew

why launch in the first place then…it still smacks of 1. latest intelligence changing things, 2. impulsivity/uncertainty, 3. weakness

all of them serious failings in their own way

MattW
MattW
4 years ago
Reply to  julian1

It could be seen as the opposite, “I’ve got all this power and could level you in a blink of an eye, but you’re not worth the money, time or effort, so I’ll leave you be for now” but be advised don’t push me!

Trump hasn’t been the complete lunatic the libtard media all claim he is, pretty much every other US president in history would have bombed them, Trump is a business man and didn’t. shows control and thought, with the hint of we will annihilate you if you press to much.

SoleSurvivor
SoleSurvivor
4 years ago

“Since 1946, 40+ US recon aircraft were shot down with the loss of 100+ lives,” tweeted aviation historian Robert Hopkins. “The US has NEVER retaliated. No reason to start over a damn drone.”

Chris H
Chris H
4 years ago

So Trump was ordering a retaliatory strike because Iran carried out a retaliatory strike on a drone which was flying in its airspace as retaliation for tanker attacks which were carried out as retaliation against the USA strangling Iran’s economy and reneging on an International deal….

Some idiot in the Pentagon will come up with some scheme to goad Iranian extremists into doing something stupid and then say ‘there you go – told you’ and thus justifying another major war in the Middle East that will greatly please US Incorporated (Military Branch).

#FacePalm.

Daniele Mandelli
Daniele Mandelli
4 years ago
Reply to  Chris H

Bingo.

David E Flandry
David E Flandry
4 years ago

There is no “Red button”. Your post is devoid of facts, long on opinion.

Douglas Newell
Douglas Newell
4 years ago

classy

David E Flandry
David E Flandry
4 years ago

Another post devoid of facts.

Ron
Ron
4 years ago

Although I think that in the US there must be cooler heads, Iran is a destabilisation factor in the Middle East. Iran wants to see the destruction of Israel, Iran and Saudi Arabia are in a religious power fight an Islamic version of the Protestant/Catholic wars of the 16th, 17th and 18th century. Iran is the major funder of terrorism and terrorist groups in the Middle East. There also seems to be a power struggle within Iran itself and when you have an arm of a nations armed forces working almost independently of a national government then you have a… Read more »

Chris H
Chris H
4 years ago
Reply to  Ron

@Ron – I appreciate the follow on logic of your comment but I have to say I can’t agree with your basic premise. Regarding Iran’s evil intentions as everyone in the USA and Israel keeps repeating, I have to remind you that, unlike Israel, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Iraq and Egypt, Iran has not attacked any other country for over 200 years. For all the negative actions ascribed to Iran that is a very important fact. Without getting into the Israel debate you surely accept it is in Israel’s interests to keep Iran as the ‘bad boy’ on the block especially… Read more »

Ron
Ron
4 years ago
Reply to  Chris H

Chris H, I agree with nearly everything that you have said in your post, I also agree that the US might need to look at themselves. The reason I said “if Iran goes after Israel” is because of the several threats that Iran has made towards Israel and its existence. I must admit that I need to look into the offer that Iran made in 2003. As for Israel having nuclear weapons, although it is estimated that Israel has up to 400 warheads the country has never denied or agreed that they have these weapons, no one knows. Maybe that… Read more »

Chris H
Chris H
4 years ago
Reply to  Ron

@Ron – As we are mostly on the ‘same page’ I wanted to cut to the end of your post and comment on the situation regarding the USA unilaterally establishing sanctions against Iran. Of course no one knows precisely why the USA reneged on the deal (other than its Trump trying to undo as much of Obama’s legacy as possible) but as the Americans say ‘We are where we are’. So we have the rather curious situation where 3 of the USA’s NATO allies plus Iran, China or Russia let alone the EU have done anything illegal. Now Trump is… Read more »

Joseph R
Joseph R
4 years ago
Reply to  Ron

” I have to remind you that, unlike Israel, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Iraq and Egypt, Iran has not attacked any other country for over 200 years. ” oh please.. Iran frequently violates and attacks other countries’ sovereign interests via its proxies, and the numerous terrorist organisations it arms and funds.. I will assume you are aware Iran is now bombing other countries’ oil tankers and shooting down US Drones.. but I guess we’re giving that a pass, too? I suppose it fits nicely with Jeremy Corbyn’s narrative .. Or, were you trying to insinuate that Iranian proxies are only present… Read more »