TheCable

Donald Trump, US president, says he called off the airstrike against three Iranian targets with 10 minutes to spare after learning that it might kill as many as 150 people.

In a series of tweets on Friday, Trump accused the western Asian country of shooting down an unmanned drone flying in international waters on Monday.

He said military leaders met him about half an hour before the planned strike and he requested to know “how many people would be killed?”

Trump explained that the response would not have been “proportionate to shooting down of a US spy drone off the Iranian coast.

“On Monday they [Iran] shot down an unmanned drone flying in International Waters. 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,” he wrote.

….On Monday they shot down an unmanned drone flying in International Waters. 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….

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 21, 2019

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….proportionate to shooting down an unmanned drone. 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!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 21, 2019

“….proportionate to shooting down an unmanned drone. 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!”

It remains unclear what Trump was referring to when he said new “sanctions are biting and more added on Thursday night.”