Iran just shot down an American drone in an unprovoked and somewhat unprecedented attack on The United States of America.
Yesterday also saw an attack on an Exxon facility in Iraq, allegedly done by the Iranians, as well as multiple attacks on key oil tankers in the last few days and weeks.
The sanctions and get tough actions by President Trump are working, but Trump must resist Bolton and the other neocons and use the pressure to bring them to the negotiating table, not to war.
That said, we can and should hit some targets in Iran without going to war if they continue.
From CNN: Iranian forces have shot down a United States military drone today, a move that could escalate an already tense relationship between the two countries.
If you’re just catching up on the news, here’s where things stand now:
What happened: Both the US and Iran say Iranian forces shot down a US drone. However, the two countries have given different reports on where it went down.
What Iran is saying: Iran’s Revolutionary Guard said it had shot down an “intruding American spy drone” after it entered into the country’s territory Thursday. They added that the downed drone was a US-made RQ-4A Global Hawk.
What the US is saying: A US official confirmed a drone had been shot down, but said the incident occurred in international airspace over the Strait of Hormuz.
Where US-Iran relations stand: Relations between the two adversaries have taken a dangerous turn this week, beginning with the Trump administration’s decision Monday to deploy 1,000 additional troops and more military resources to the Middle East. US officials have also blamed Iran for conducting attacks against oil tankers in the Gulf of Oman.
From Breitbart: White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said U.S. President Donald Trump had been “briefed on the reports of a missile strike in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.”
“We are closely monitoring the situation and continuing to consult with our partners and allies,” Sanders said.
U.S. officials told the Associated Press the downing happened over international airspace in the Strait of Hormuz and not Iranian airspace as claimed by Tehran.
The drone attack came just 48-hours after the Pentagon released new images which officials said offered more evidence operatives from the IRGC were responsible for last week’s attacks on oil tankers in the Gulf of Oman.
The U.S. military said the photos, taken from a Navy helicopter, showed Iranian forces removing an unexploded mine from the hull of the Japanese-owned Kokuka Courageous oil tanker.
