RQ-4A Global Hawk, illustrative image. Click to see full-size
In the last 24 hours since Iran shot down a US RQ-4 Global Hawk there has been a rollercoaster of events, most of which show the uncertainty of the entire situation surrounding the US-Iran tensions.
The Pentagon released a video showing the RQ-4 Global Hawk being downed.
Iran, on its part also released a video of how the drone was shot down.
#Breaking Iran releases video of shooting down US RQ-4 drone, also flight path of the drone. pic.twitter.com/oOqExLvq5X
— Amirhosein (@Amirh_91) June 20, 2019
Immediately after the unmanned surveillance aircraft was shot down, US President Donald Trump tweeted that it was a “big mistake” on Iran’s part.
Iran made a very big mistake!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 20, 2019
Later on he “salvaged” the situation by saying that he meant that Iran shooting down the drone was a mistake by somebody underneath the Iranian leadership, and was not specifically on purpose.
He said that the drone had clearly been shot above international waters, but he everything surrounding the incident wasn’t clear.
“Let’s see what happens,” Trump said.
Following that, the New York Times reported that Trump had ordered a strike on Iran, but later pulled back from launching them on the evening of June 20th.
Unnamed senior administration officials said that Trump’s aides were split about whether to respond to Iran.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo; John R. Bolton, the national security adviser; and Gina Haspel, the C.I.A. director, had favored a military response. But top Pentagon officials cautioned that such an action could result in a spiraling escalation with risks for American forces in the region.
Congressional leaders were briefed by administration officials in the Situation Room.
Democrats, following the president’s classified briefing in the Situation Room and urged Trump to de-escalate the situation. They called on the president to seek congressional authorization before taking any military action.
“This is a dangerous situation,” Speaker Nancy Pelosi said. “We are dealing with a country that is a bad actor in the region. We have no illusions about Iran in terms of their ballistic missile transfers, about who they support in the region and the rest.”
Washington is largely uncertain in its claims, as Lt. Gen. Joseph Guastella, the Air Force commander for the Central Command region in the Middle East, said the attack could have endangered “innocent civilians,” even though officials at Central Command continued to assert that the drone was over international waters.
Pentagon released a map allegedly showing the flight path of the drone and that it was outside of Iranian territory. But the department incorrectly called the flight path of the drone the location of the shooting down and offered little context for an image that appeared to be the drone exploding in midair.
The ISR Flight path and grid plots for the RQ-4A shot down by Iran in the Strait of Hormuz. “This was an unprovoked attack on a U.S. surveillance asset that had not violated Iranian airspace at any time …” – Lt Gen Joseph Guastella, @USAFCENT pic.twitter.com/uczI5HF68b
— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) June 20, 2019
Most recently, Reuters reported that Iran had received a message from the US through Oman that a US attack was imminent.
In addition, US National Security Adviser John Bolton, one of the most prolific hawks in the Trump administration, is to visit Israel and meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on June 23rd. He will also meet with Israeli national security and atomic energy officials during the trip. They will discuss “regional security” in addition to topics related to the Palestinians.
Majid Takht-Ravanchi, Iran’s ambassador to the United Nations, wrote in a letter to the Security Council that the drone ignored repeated radio warnings before it was downed. He said that Tehran “does not seek war” but “is determined to vigorously defend its land, sea and air.”
Separately, Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif also tweeted saying that he was showing the precise coordinates the drone was shot down and that it was in Iranian airspace.
At 00:14 US drone took off from UAE in stealth mode & violated Iranian airspace. It was targeted at 04:05 at the coordinates (25°59’43″N 57°02’25″E) near Kouh-e Mobarak.
We’ve retrieved sections of the US military drone in OUR territorial waters where it was shot down. pic.twitter.com/pJ34Tysmsg
— Javad Zarif (@JZarif) June 20, 2019
Iran even showcased parts of the Global Hawk.
Iran Releases Second Video to Show Flight Route of Downed US Drone pic.twitter.com/LzWrLvRpHB
— Fars News Agency (@EnglishFars) June 20, 2019
Hossein Salami, the commander in chief of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, said crossing the country’s border was “our red line,” the Iranian Mehr news agency reported.
“We are not going to get engaged in a war with any country, but we are fully prepared for war,” Mr. Salami said at a military ceremony in Sanandaj, Iran, according to a translation from Press TV, a state-run news outlet. “Today’s incident was a clear sign of this precise message, so we are continuing our resistance.”
There is quite a bit of uncertainty surrounding the entire situation, with both sides claiming they were in the right. But if reports that Trump initially ordered a strike and then called it back would mean that the US are simply attempting to exert pressure on Iran, without actually undertaking action.
However, if the US finally decides that it has to take some kind of military action of Iran, a new hot conflict could easily start in the region.
MORE ON THE TOPIC:
Touching Iran is too prohibitive for the Axis of Evil. Iran has managed to deter the US the same way that Hezbollah has managed to deter israel: https://platosguns.com/2019/06/21/missile-phobia-in-tel-aviv/#comment-24774
Since the silent annexation of the United States of America by Tel Aviv, global Jewish crime syndicates have never had it so good. Jewish oppression and kleptomania have hit the roof and everywhere you look, there’s a Jew smiling at their quantum success. Happy Jew here, happy Jew there, happy Jews everywhere, everywhere, everywhere… except… in Tel Aviv.אתה חכם
Thanks. But to be clear, you are quoting the article I linked to.
אתה עוגיה חכמה
Trump looking for war with every single country but nobody give him chance. LOL
Very interesting link. Seems if the Israelis spent half as much money trying to be a better neighbor, as they’ve spent alienating just about everyone, the world would be a much safer place.
Unfortunately nuclear weapons seem to imbue a sense of omnipotence. Backed into a corner with no healthy path towards self preservation, we may get another Jones town, only on a grand scale.
Have not spent much time contemplating living with missiles pointed at me for decades. It does seem like the sort of thing that would lead to insanity. Plenty of that on display in Israel.
In must be frustrating for them to feel so much better then everyone else, and yet be so despised.
I pray that we can get out of this peacefully, Caitland wrote a hopeful article today, The Fact That Americans Need To Be Deceived Into War Proves Their Underlying Goodness
https://caitlinjohnstone.com/category/article/
Iran can, and I believe has, used plausible deniability and proxies to take control of the (mostly) economic war and force the anglozionists to back down …. it is now clear to the latter that Iran can resist, and with devastating consequences should the hegemon persist. Check-mate.
Iran has teeth and means to defend itself. Attacking any part of Iran will hurt the US and Israel.
Mazal Tov!
Iran showing the launch and interception video (and now fragments) would suggest the drone had been directed to where it should not have been by a commander. (possibly without “supreme leader” authorization)
Idiot show satellite images not computer generated documents. Idiot if that was over international water so how its possible to drop in Iranian land.
טראמפ הוא אידיוט מזוין
Google translated: “Trump is a fucking asshole”.
מלאניה היא זונה סלובנית
With Iran recovering the drone in their territorial waters. And the US not recovering the drone in international waters. Any rational observer is going to conclude that this one more JewS scam. https://media.npr.org/assets/img/2011/02/15/powell.jpg?t=1297780606&s=51
The Jews mass murdered 3,000 Americans on 911 and the Israel firster Zionist anti American swamp traitors covered it up. The US and our planet need to be dejudified so that Earth is Jew free. http://americandigest.org/mt-archives/9_11_jumpers.jpg
US options are very limited now as Trump’s clowning bluff was called.
It isn’t just Trump. It’s the entire JewS swamp. The silence coming from even America’s allies is deafening. Usually they’re falling over themselves in a me too chorus of Jew lies.
http://www.avaresearch.com/files/Jewish%20Media%20Club%20Expanded(5).png
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/66ee959285bf506a56f7fa24e78440b8636a60d3c855fbcf1c3533d6b2d7ca61.jpg
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/40c12155ea9935d2c6030f89f5af73cc6e9f3df0cd91164e4c335cfc2961d2a4.png
– Who Controls America? Who Controls the Think Tanks? –
https://thezog.wordpress.com/who-controls-the-think-tanks/
Trump Ordered Military Strike On Iran, Then Called It Off In The Last Minute… https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2019-06-21/trump-backs-down-military-strike-iran-last-minute
Was that because the NSA told Trump that Iran had locked and secured their missiles, which were focused on all US military ships in the area?
What were the US doing in the area, besides spying?
Guess, they lost a lot of intelligence, when they had to pull their spies out of Iran.
“The New York Times and WSJ report”
You might as well get your “news” from Mossad’s website. There’s a real possibility/probability that it’s fiction.
So are you saying that Trump never called off the attack on Iran, that everybody is mentioning?
Even Iran, replied, saying the US were lucky they did not target the 36 personnel, who were in the spy plane, accompanying the drone?
Not forgetting, the NSA noticed, just before Trump climbed down, which tallies in with his ‘twitter feeds’, I do believe, that Iran had fixed their missile systems, which were locked and loaded, on the US military ships in the area. Which Iran had previously stated they were going to do.
Guess, one time the US were not relying on the 80% of intelligence, which they had outsourced to the private sector, who have no accountability to the people of the US, let alone loyalty.
I don’t know one way or the other. But yes, I’m highly skeptical that Trump ever ordered an attack in the first place and then called it back while planes and ships were in motion. What ever his short comings may be. He has enough experience moving personnel and equipment throughout his entire career as a builder to know the risks involved in that type of last minute brinkmanship. And that once you set that type of operation in motion. It’s not that easy to call it back on last minutes notice.
Cheers, enjoying your comments. Take care.
You don’t order an attack to commence and then 10 minutes after it’s started call it back. By that time it’s too late in this day and age. Missiles are already in the air. Probably in both directions.
The Iranians may not even wait to assess the damage from a strike. They may go after the launch platforms or prospective launch platforms right away.
Then Mr. Maga has got a mega problem on his hands of his own making.
Iran were stating they intended to, owing to the launch platform escorting the drone, with 36 personnel on board.
USS Liberty and who was involved comes to mind, plus the reasons, as you have stated.
However, also would not surprise me if sanity over in the NSA, got to Trump in time. What would have happened, in accordance with international law and others getting involved, if Trump was stupid enough to go for it, wearing his MIGA hat? To keep Bolton and Pompeo sweet?
I don’t think that he ever ordered the attack to start. Was there an order for it to start by a set time? Without seeing what was actually written I don’t know. But I don’t think go was ever done. And that word games are being played to make it seem like it was.
If there was a set time and he canceled it ten minutes before it would trigger. He’s not making any friends at the Pentagon doing that. I’m skeptical of the whole scenario. It just seems like a very irresponsible way for a commander in chief to conduct military operations.
People do tend to condemn the MSM and then swallow whole what it says when it suits them.
They did during the Iraq wars. Many of them are a lot more circumspect now that they see both the lies and the result of following them.
I very much hope they have learned.
I think it is because they confirmed that the drone was over Iranian borders.
Look at this and imagine what you could buy for this;
“A US Navy official tells CNN that the approximate cost of the RQ-4A Global Hawk drone is $110 million”……. it cannot be true, can it ?. US$ 110 million for that little dinky thing.
This one says it is double that – https://www.wired.com/story/iran-global-hawk-drone-surveillance/
Wonder how much it actually cost to build, and how much ‘3rd parties’ received. Those sponsorship deals, surely have to be built into the price.
Ugly old thing, wherever it fell. So hope, Iran managed to collect one heck of a lot of intelligence from the old bird.
Just popped over to Breit Bart, and so need a drink, especially as it being Friday. It is like turning up in your local kinder garten, after the children have been fed a diet of ‘E’s’. Just cannot comprehend the low level skills, of the Breit Bart trolls.
How much did the cruise missile he sent to Syria, back in 2017 cost? Weren’t they valued at $100,000 per missile, times 60 = $6 million. Just for the entertainment section, of hosting President Xi Jinping, over dinner.
Then round 2, where they used 100, just to take out a building the Syrians were due to demolish, for a pittance. So that cost around $10 million.
Now you have the $1-2 million, ugly bird, and that does not include Clinton. To provide Iran with some US intelligence, for comedy hour.
No wonder the US spend over $717 billion, and rising, on their defence budget. Not forgetting the repair bill for the USS John McCain and the USS Fitzgerald, two Aegis destroyers, who have problems seeing merchant shipping, in the area.
Guess Monty Python is making a comeback, over in Washington DC.
hmm
I know, they are so remarkable shit, we just need to laugh.
Don’t forget that 1 home made kamikaze drone sent by the flip flop heroic Yemeni army hit the target (airport) whilst battalions of Patriots air defence battalions (or another ridiculously named system) missed spectacularly.
Pure comedy and thanks as I am still laughing. How much did the home made drone cost, compared to the ineffective one?
https://davidduke.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/CNNJewMeme-e1499356599174.jpg
יהודים הם זונות מכוערים
Is Trump dyslexic?
He rallied on MAGA, but, shouldn’t it have been MIGA?
Extra extra get your Jew lies here: http://esau.today/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/jews-media-4.jpg
Richard, we should include here TV. channels like The History Channel, The Discovery Channel and the movies companies most of them owned by Jews.
This is clearly a significant event . But I think people are rather getting carried away by their own imaginations. It is an embarrassment to the Pentagon and probably they are shocked by Iran’s capabilities. But it is not some sort of devastating blow . It will lead them to reassess the military situation and will make them careful in not intruding into Iranian airspace. The decision to attack Iran or not is probably not very dependant on any particular event. An event may be used as the pretext but that will just be for public consumption. The question might be does this event weaken or strengthen the hand of those who are pressing for war regardless of the circumstances?
Readers may enjoy this summary and analysis of events around the Straits of Hormuz:
https://chuckmanwordsincomments.wordpress.com/2019/06/21/john-chuckman-comment-clarifying-facts-about-irans-downing-of-an-american-drone-trumps-retaliatory-missile-strike-order-iran-as-a-formidable-enemy-who-started-it-all-not-iran-relentl/
add this to the pot:
“According to well-informed sources, Iran rejected a proposal by US intelligence – made via a third party – that Trump be allowed to bomb one, two or three clear objectives, to be chosen by Iran, so that both countries could appear to come out as winners and Trump could save face. Iran categorically rejected the offer and sent its reply: even an attack against an empty sandy beach in Iran would trigger a missile launch against US objectives in the Gulf.”
https://ejmagnier.com/2019/06/21/iran-and-trump-on-the-edge-of-the-abyss/
Note: Israhell is scared s*itless that it’s coming.
You spy you die big mistake.Bolton whisper in your ears and Pompeo standing behind you and laughing big mistake.Satanyahu,Erdogan and Salmon telling you that Iran is the only one in your way big mistake.Unman or men spy planes are danger to Iran.Look how spying exposes Iran nuclear reactors.Attacking iran is good to nuclear USANATO and Israel.
Pelosi says “we’re dealing with a bad actor”, we all know who the “bad actor” is, rogue state USrael.
When some of your top leaders describe Iran as an actor it’s time for a fresh perspective. With Iranians they seem short on empty promises, with long memories of events like 1953’s CIA coup and flight 655.