WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump told Iran on Thursday it made a “bigmistake” by shooting down a US spy drone, an incident bringing the twocountries ever closer to open conflict in the world’s busiest oil shippinglane.
“They made a very big mistake,” Trump told reporters at the White Housefollowing the strike near the strategic Strait of Hormuz.
“This country will not stand for it, that I can tell you,” said Trump.
But while one of his top Republican allies said the downing of the dronehad taken the two countries “one step closer” to war, Trump simultaneouslyappeared to play down the incident saying it may not have beenunintentional.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said it had brought down the unmannedGlobal Hawk surveillance aircraft as it was “violating Iranian air space”over the waters of Hormozgan province.
The Pentagon, however, denounced an “unprovoked attack” in internationalair space, claiming the drone was some 34 kilometers (21 miles) from thenearest point in Iran when it was downed by a surface-to-air missile.
Iran vowed in response to go to the United Nations to prove Washington was”lying.”
Crude oil prices rose more than six percent after the incident which markeda new peak in tensions as Tehran pushes back against surging US diplomatic,economic and military pressure.
Trump has repeatedly said he does not favor war with Iran unless it is tostop the country getting a nuclear weapon — something Iranian leadersinsist they are not pursuing.
But critics of the Trump administration say that his policy of “maximumpressure” — including crippling economic sanctions, abandonment of acomplex international deal to regulate Iran’s nuclear activities, anddeployment of extra sea, air and land forces to the region — make war evermore likely.
The drone downing came as Iran was already accused by Washington of havingcarried out explosions on oil tankers in the congested Hormuz area. Tehrandenies having been behind the attacks but has frequently threatened in thepast to block the sea lanes used by shipping to move much of the world’soil exports.
In Washington, talk of war has become part of the already heated atmosphereas Trump’s reelection fight starts to gain traction.
A key Republican ally of Trump, Senator Lindsey Graham, said thepresident’s “options are running out.”
Asked if he believe the countries were edging closer to war, he replied: “Ithink anybody would believe that we’re one step closer.”
“They shot down an American asset well within international waters tryingto assess the situation. What are you supposed to do?”
One of Trump’s biggest opponents, the Democratic speaker of the House ofRepresentatives, Nancy Pelosi, warned that “there’s no appetite for wantingto go to war in our country.”
Russian President Vladimir Putin, who has close relations with Iran’sleadership, said that US military retaliation against Iran “would be adisaster for the region.”