'Cocked and loaded': Trump called off Iran airstrikes with 10 minutes to spare
President Donald Trump said that the US was "cocked and loaded" to retaliate against Iran for downing an American drone, but cancelled the missile strikes 10 minutes before they were to be executed after being told some 150 people could die.
Trump said the US had planned to hit three different sites in response to Iran's downing of its drone.
Trump tweeted that the US will never allow Iran to have a nuclear weapon, but he said he's in no hurry to respond to the downing of the US surveillance drone over the Strait of Hormuz.
Iranian officials told Reuters that Tehran had received a message from US President Donald Trump through Oman warning that a US attack on Iran was imminent.
"In his message, Trump said he was against any war with Iran and wanted to talk to Tehran about various issues," one official told Reuters, speaking on condition of anonymity.
President Donald Trump said that the US was "cocked and loaded" to retaliate against Iran for downing an American drone. CNN
"He 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."
The swift reversal was a stark reminder of the serious risk of military conflict between US and Iranian forces as the Trump administration combines a "maximum pressure" campaign of economic sanctions with a build-up of American forces in the region.
The drone incident aggravated fears of a direct military clash between the longtime foes and oil prices rose about $US1 per barrel to above $US65.50 on Friday, due to worries about possible disruptions to crude exports from the Gulf.
As tensions mounted in recent weeks, there have been growing fears that either side could make a dire miscalculation that leads to war.
Iran claims to have shot down the drone while it was over Iranian territory, however the US has denied any drone was in that airspace. 9News
The downing of the US drone - a huge, unmanned aircraft - over the Strait of Hormuz prompted accusations from the US and Iran about who was the aggressor.
Iran insisted the drone violated Iranian airspace, while Washington said it had been flying over international waters.
Trump's initial comments on the attack were succinct. He declared in a tweet that "Iran made a very big mistake!".
But he also suggested that shooting down the drone - which has a wingspan wider than a Boeing 737 - was a foolish error rather than an intentional escalation, suggesting he may have been looking for some way to avoid a crisis.
Iran unveiled a new home made state advanced missile defense named 'Khordad 15' which is equipped with passive phased array radar system and it says can destroy enemy fighter jets and enemy drones from as far as 120 kilometers. PA/AAP
"I find it hard to believe it was intentional, if you want to know the truth," Trump said at the White House. "I think that it could have been somebody who was loose and stupid that did it."
Trump, who has said he wants to avoid war and negotiate with Iran over its nuclear ambitions, cast the shoot-down as "a new wrinkle ... a new fly in the ointment." Yet he also said "this country will not stand for it, that I can tell you."
He said the American drone was unarmed and unmanned and "clearly over international waters." It would have "made a big, big difference" if someone had been inside, he said.
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