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© Copyright 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.Trump says Iran made 'big mistake' by shooting down U.S. drone
By DEB RIECHMANN WASHINGTON©2025 GPlusMedia Inc.
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108 Comments
Chip Star
More appeasement of and capitulation to Iran. Donny sure is good at backing down to dictators.
dbsaiya
So now the guy who doesn't read, and who is ignorant of history and policies is now going to lead young men and women to war? The same bone spurs guy who doesn't read the daily intelligence briefings and doesn't understand the raw intel? The same guy who trashed his own intelligence community? Better slow down and smell the coffee before letting the likes of Lindsey Graham goad this guy into doing something rash. Nothing better than a war to distract the public from all his troubles and try to brand himself as the tough guy. This guy will do anything if it benefits himself and the U.S. public had better open its eyes quickly before he really does "shoot someone on 5th Avenue and get away with it."
CrazyJoe
This is foreign policy from someone with the intelligence of a 10 year old. When Trump was elected, my first thought was that he would get us into another war. He has surrounded himself with people who want war with Iran. My worst fears may become reality.
Trump has an endless supply of paint and corners.
Strangerland
But he tells it like it is! How can you not get that?
Chip Star
You also have to keep in mind the intellectual capacities and educational experiences of Donny's base.
IloveCoffee
I think Trump is raising the tensions with Iran on purpose so during the campaign he can rush to make some sort of a peace deal with Iran and come out as a hero just in time for the elections. I am also pretty sure he is doing the same tactic with China. He is pushing this trade war disputes in order to keep the tensions high, when times is right, he will strike a deal with them, the markets will rally, and he will appear as a hero just in time for the elections.
Sh1mon M4sada
I agree with the professor totally. More sanctions, eg no luxury goods like NKorea, no Autos, no minerals, and more troops to central command in Qatar, and send out arrest warrants for all the IRGC generals.
Chip Star
I hope you're a member of the military.
martin.s. johnson
I said, he said, American says it was over international waters, Iran says ii was in Iranian air space, so who do we believe. America having a drone flying in possible disputed airspace, is not the most brightest thing to do , unless you want to try and test the waters for a conflict, Iran on the other hand ,knows if the drone was in international airspace, it will play into the hands of the US and muddy the waters with the remaining countries left in the Iran nuclear deal. The world is watching , knowing that the US is looking for a conflict, pressured by Israel and the Saudi's. America is playing the media, which we all know favor the US and not the Iranians. In one week we have two incidents were the US and its media blame the Iranians, evidence shown to the world, that could have been staged by many actors, but not proved without a reasonable doubt. Trump needs a war more than Iran, Trump and his NEOCONS started this fiasco by withdrawing from the Nuclear deal, which was working. The middle East has seen enough of US meddling, far to many innocent people killed or displaced in its actions. All the time the rest of the world has let the US charge ahead , well now is the time for the international comunity to stand up, and say enough is enough, and force both players to come the table and reach a workable dialogue were no more live are lost. Iran is not a threat to the US , neither is North Korea, China or Russia, this is just ongoing American political theatre to appease the huge US military complex , the true rulers of America and its political system.
Strangerland
One of them is probably telling the truth, but I don't believe either of them. Neither of them are trustworthy on a matter like this.
CrazyJoe
What was wrong with the JCPOA (Iran nuclear deal)? Oh yeah, a black guy who is an actual stable genius came up with it and the white supremacist tangerine can't handle it.
Really are we trying to land a job as mercenaries for Israel and Saudi Arabia? I'm pretty sure that that is not what the men and women in the armed forces signed on for.
Hello Kitty 321
And so it all begins. One ‘retaliation’ leading to another.
ReturningGrace
Trump is only bluffing and Iran knows this so it probably will shoot down a few more drones.
Sh1mon M4sada
Nevermind the 6 tankers, are you also ignoring all the other conflicts funded with Iranian resources (personnel, money & armaments) in various corners of the middle east, since the genius blackguy scrapped the sanctions?
You seem to have no idea why the military is stationed in various middle eastern forward bases and command. It is to ensure the free, unimpeded flow of that black stuff that keeps the world ticking and stable. But of course you don't care about that, because your posts shows you're only ever concerned with making excuses for the Iranians.
Sh1mon M4sada
Regardless of where the airspace issue lean, Iranian aggression is clear in this instance. Besides MH17, I can't recall in recent time of another instance of shoot first lie later. Japan just sent up fighters to escort a Russian bomber, clearly in its airspace, that is what is expected as reasonable action to defend airspace.
TumbleDry
Ok. Where did the debris fall?
gaijintraveller
Zichi, you know the answer to that. Because of money, because the Saudis buy weapons from the US and the UK enriching both countries. At least the British courts have put a temporary stop on this.
We should also ask why Israel is allowed to act in Palestinian territory because it is pre-emptive, but Iran is not allowed to.
We should also remember that the US lies to justify its action before every invasion. Remember WMDs and the the 911 planes full of Afghanis and Iraqis, or was it Saudis.
It is interesting that so many people find the Iranian version more believable than the US version. Of course, Trump is never believable.
SuperLib
Things would be a lot better today if we let a working deal continue. Now we have Iran threatening enrichment, drones being shot at, mines, aircraft carriers, troop movements. Just a lot of escalation with no real way out or way for either side to save face.
My guess is the Revolutionary Guard has decided they were justified in not trusting the US and is starting to take matters into their own hands.
nandakandamanda
The debris fell in the sea, some of which Iran is claiming to have picked up. The missile was fired from a mobile truck battery apparently, with an ability to hit targets up to 30 km high.
Sh1mon M4sada
I don't know where all this war conspiracy comes from. Trump was elected on a platform of pulling troops out of the middle east, he has down played this attack on the drone as minor, and possibly a mistake, the commands in the gulf is saying they remain objective about the incident, ie they are there to ensure flow of oil, and enforce sanctions.
Yes, I also agree with you, Iran can certainly defend themselves, and we can't afford to cut off 30% of world oil supply (if a war break out). The pro-Iranian supporters here are either so full of conspiracy or just plain blind to anything but their own false narrative.
taj
Well, there is precedent for aircraft being accidentally shot down in the area,...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iran_Air_Flight_655
I wonder if this is what is coming to Trump's aging mind as he blathers, "I would imagine it was a general or somebody that made a mistake."
Kestrel
@ChipStar,
Yes, Trump certainly doesnt look like someone hellbent on war with Iran - unlike the leftys have been painting him. And your answer to his obvious resistance to start a war is to disparage him.
Its like watching CNN.
Sh1mon M4sada
Where do you get this stuff from?
The deal was was concocted and signed in the final hours of an exiting president. Immediately after sanctions were lifted the Iranian attacks started, including on their own people.
https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2015/10/iraq-investigate-deadly-camp-liberty-rocket-attack/
Then war intensified in Syria, Lebanon, Yemen....the deal only ever served the greed of mostly German corporates and customers of Iranian oil. Yes Boeing was sprinkled in there but the point is it was never benefiting the average punter in the street, and it certainly wasn't good for the victims of conflict in the ME
Chip Star
Donny doing screeching 180s is on him, not me. He constantly runs off at the mouth without thinking,gets us into these situations, and then does a hard u-turn. Unlike Trumpophiles, I'm not so deluded as to think he deserves any praise for this.
It's like watching amatuer hour.
Jimizo
Trump has no principles and no knowledge of anything of substance when it comes to policy. Listening to him speak on key issues is a tightrope walk.
Trump is a vacuum of thought other than thinking up bitchy trash on Twitter or go with a 9-iron.
You should be focused on what his handlers think. His habit of parroting the last person he spoke to has been observed even by his supporters.
Seth M
well well well. this isn't some cheap plastic drone, global hawk is a strategic asset and extremely expensive.
Trump has a difficult decision to make here
jcapan
A habit of insecure narcissists, which should be cause for concern. Bolton and his fellow warmongering chicken hawks are no doubt sitting across the table wondering aloud if Trump has any cojones. He'll start a major war just to prove them wrong.
I'm surprised it's taken this long to bait him into an insane conflict.
Serrano
Chip Star: More appeasement of and capitulation to Iran. Donny sure is good at backing down to dictators.
And there you have it, ladies and gentlemen. No matter what Trump does, it's wrong, according to Chip Star.
If Trump had ordered an attack on an Iranian target Chip Star would be calling him a warmonger.
bass4funk
Bingo!
Raw Beer
There was talk a little back about the US bombing some Iranian facilities. Now, they have an excuse...
I believe the Iranians here, it was probably shot down in Iranian airspace.
Braze
That statement is probably why you got a lot of down votes, just a guess. You need to read a bunch of General Smedley Butler's quotes and also read "Confessions of an Economic Hit Man" by John Perkins and start connecting dots on US Foreign policy, believe it or not the US Foreign Policy and our interventions over seas still follow the same old policy. What always got me the most is how the US Government just loves maritime disasters to intervene in foreign governments affairs, makes the military Industrial Complex extremely rich and usually kills a lot of middle and lower class Americans in the process, mostly young men.
cleo
Translation: I don't know, Bibi hasn't told me yet.
Japan is neither Iran nor the US, but even so, how do you 'escort' an unmanned drone the size of a 747, flying ten times higher than your manned fighter planes can manage?
If Iran wants to fight, that will be the official end of Iran. Never threaten the United States again!
@realDonaldTrumpHe was also elected on a platform of Building a Wall that Mexico would Pay for, Making America Great Again, scrapping Obamacare to replace it with Something Much Better, and renegotiating (not scrapping) the Iran Nuclear deal.
He hasn't done any of those things, either.
NCIS Reruns
The only "big mistake" was for American voters to have elected a semi-literate pro wrestling promoter with an aversion for truth as their president.
bass4funk
But it’s still being built, thank God.
Got rid of that dreaded mandate! I thought that was fantastic! A huge relief.
Sadly at the moment, he didn’t and the Democrats didn’t come up with anything more affordable either, why would they?
No, he meant to scrap it entirely, thankfully.
What?
Scrote
The US could release the full flight path of the drone, accompanied by the video feed from the drone. That would help to prove where it was when it was shot down. They haven't done that. Without more evidence it's impossible to believe either side.
Sh1mon M4sada
The Iranian has now released details of where, and even using their data, looks alot like international airspace to me.
So with that not fully supporting their defense, they've now said they didn't get a friendly IFF response from the drone, hence got trigger happy. Duh, enemy aircraft can't confirm friendly IFF can they? But then the Iranians probably know this too, so then they said no IFF = illegal and therefore use of force is ok.
Except international laws established last century in the Caroline case say you can only use force for self defence, and it was defined as if there is no other means, and there's immediate threat.
It's comical how they just unleashed all these communice using clueless junior ranked people (or at least I hope their senior ranks aren't this clueless).
bass4funk
They might have done that, maybe not made publicly to us, but you don’t know if they did or didn’t.
I agree, but again, they don’t have the make the case to us ordinary people.
That’s the big conundrum now isn’t it?
They also said, they didn’t remove the mine devices from the ship, but were caught red-handed.
RichardPearce
I'm pretty sure that Trump figured he'd be able to order a missile strike on Iran and get the 'very good sir, and can I suggest you aim them here' response from the Generals he got when he ordered the strike on Syria.
And then he found out that the last thing the Party of War wants is a hot war with Iran, because the hot cold war helps keep it in power, but an unmistakable defeat, which would be inevitable given that Iran is a space capable industrialized and resource rich democracy with a population that would put up with their economy going on a war footing, while Trump's base would revolt the second their MalWarts started running out of merchandise.
PS, you know who, if you're going to talk down about the Trump base, you might want to not do it when you're showing you are just as misinformed and boastful about it as they are.
Braze
One of 2 things will happen now, the US could tone this tanker and drone incident down OR they can now present us all with daily PR and tone it all up, start to squeeze Iran into a corner would work best, and let's move those War Ships closer to Iran's shores. Nothing like the smell of Napalm in the Morning..
bass4funk
Yes! Which is quite significant and still a great distance given the fact that Nancy didn’t want to give an inch to any and the rest is being worked out, so all in all it’s coming together nicely, slowly, but nonetheless...
Realization
You can send snake to my house but I have no right to kill the snake???
How funny?
was that Drone flying in USA land?
FizzBit
Most important, this drone was a prototype, so expendable, it had its transponder OFF so Iran had a right to suspect danger, the US has been the country escalating economic war and rhetoric, so no harm no foul. I suspect Bolton will be fired soon.
Chip Star
You guys sure don't like it when liberals take pages out of your playbook.
cleo
Erm, if they released it, it would be public (if you only share something with your closest friends, that isn't 'releasing' it). The fact that we don't know means that the flight path of the drone has not been released.
Whoa, stop press - it appears the flight path, or at least a dinky little video purporting to show the flight path, has been released.
https://www.haaretz.com/us-news/trump-responds-to-iran-drone-attack-iran-made-a-very-big-mistake-1.7396925
I wonder how the US would react if Iran were flying spy drones a hair's-breath off the US coast?
Supposed Land of the Free, and there you are submissively tugging your forelock to the bosses. Pathetic.
If they're making the case for war or military action, they certainly do need to make the case to the people who will be paying for it, both in hard cash (taxes) and in blood. Not to mention the rest of the world, whose lives/business/safety would all be affected by yet more US aggression on the world stage.
Serrano
Translation: I don't know, Bibi hasn't told me yet.
cleo thinks Trump answers to Netanyahu. He doesn't. He makes decisions based on what's good for the American people, as he was elected to do, unlike virtually every other president.
Yosshh
waste of American people's tax for Chicken Fight
bass4funk
They could try, but that would require something high tech.
Which party has been more appeasing and cowardly?
elephant200
Good job, Iran!
u_s__reamer
The never-ending friction between Iran and the USA can be traced back following the money to Israel, not to mention "our" oil.
rlperez@hotmail.com.au
US warmongering is not going to change until we make our government responsible to us rather than Washington. Again, we need to take control of our politicians, we need politicians that will put our nation first and not America First, we need politicians with a backbone. PEOPLE POWER.
Sh1mon M4sada
You quoted me, but won't include everything I wrote? I said 'recent times', much has occurred in agreements, laws, etc. since to avoid a repeat.
Sh1mon M4sada
The Iranian have released it, the US has released it, now they're both arguing about whether it's Iranian airspace or not. It's in all the TV reports, maps n all....looks to me like the Iranian is claiming international waters as part of their territory.
Sh1mon M4sada
You're hilarious...
Sh1mon M4sada
You're funny too, Trump is playing down the incident, was voted in on a platform of withdrawing from war in the middle east, and you came up with this^^^.
It's not funny you reference the rest of the world though, it then affects me. Have a read of what Iran wants to do to the rest of the world, in their own words.
https://www.rferl.org/a/iran_strait_of_hormuz/24421087.html
"If the world wants to make the region insecure, we will make the world insecure."
Sh1mon M4sada
No one, not even Bolton is making a case for war. Trump's stance has always been 'maximum pressure' using sanctions. But of course, all the conspiracy people can't believe that and relies instead on fictions, like above^^^.
Seriously, why go to war when sanctions is showing sign of success already, ie the Iranians are rattled, and reacting...
Keep it up USA, ramp it up, to include more categories, and scrutinize every inch of Iran, every thing that move, to ensure tge sanctions are enforced.
kurisupisu
The US continues to send drones that continue to be shot down.
There is a steep learning curve-obviously.
Serrano
Good job, Iran!
The millions of people negatively impacted by the Iranian Islamic regime's actions would disagree.
Serrano
Democrat and republican, which party has started the wars this century?
The Deep State globalists, both republican and Democrat.
Andrew Crisp
As opposed to Obama and company who did nothing .
Silvafan
@Serrano
No, Dump answers to Puuti kins!
Then this:
Now Puuti kins needs to see Dump in person for more instructions in Japan!
LOL! The US currently has a weak incompetent leader!
And the Republicons are selling out the US for personal gain, so they really don't care.
stormcrow
"Loose and stupid" ???
This is Trump in a nutshell. It makes you wonder if he was looking at a reflection of himself when he made that remark.
1glenn
"Big mistake," like the one Trump made when he unilaterally withdrew from Obama's denuclearization treaty with Iran, unneccessarily imposed trading restrictions, and told the world that they are not allowed to buy Iranian oil? That kind of "big mistake?"
Chip Star
Nothing except reduce the capacity and levels of Irans uranium enrichment and got inspectors into their facilities. Didn't think that one through, did you?
Chip Star
Too bad there is no evidence to support this assertion.
ulysses
The problem with a war with Iran is that the US will fight a conventional war, bombing raids,missiel launches etc, but Iran will reply back through attacks in Iraq and even Saudi Arabia.
Dumb Bush finally gave Iran, what they had fought for and lost hundred and thousands of people for, an active involvement and influence in Iraq.
Dumb Trump, led by his warmongering advisors, is making it even worse.
Chip Star
Donny's bumbled usinto this situation and his incompetence is only exacerbating it. What a complete and utter moron.
bass4funk
Limited, yes.
Didn't think that one through, did you?
FizzBit
Reminds me of Kennedy’s Cuba moment.
All my speculation, maybe Trump purposely let himself get dragged into this so now he can purge the warmongers, or, maybe he talked to Tucker Carlson who’s been against the whole Iranian ramp up, or, this is bread and circuses to keep the sides fighting, hating, and trolling to keep their eyes off of the elephant in the room, Central Bankers.
bass4funk
Not a single bomb fell, what warmongering are you talking about? You’re jumping waaaay ahead of yourself. ROFL!
That’s why we elected Trump.
That’s why we want Trump for a second term.
Strangerland
Have you ever listened to an interview with him? Because it's clear when he talks that he isn't watching the same movie you guys are.
funkymofo
@fizzbit The difference being Kennedy had a clue.
yakyak
Wake up, they're dummy drones.
Serrano
Too bad there is no evidence to support this assertion.
Oh, but there is! Any new wars yet? Nope. Are we on our way out of Syria? Yep. Is the economy in good shape? Yep.
gokai_wo_maneku
A "big" mistake, but not "big" enough to do anything about it. It was not a "yuuuuge" mistake.
WilliB
Kestrel:
Yes, looking at the readers section here certainly is. Kind of amazing to see how many believers are out there.
gcbel
Shambolic. Not striking Iran after all was the right call. Not appearing weak by having an administration that leaks like sieve that there was a strike that was called off, even better. And, even better than that having a plan beyond just stepping out of working deal because “Obama”. These nitwits are just as likely to bumble into another war in the ME.
yamada1043
Several warmongers in the current administration, following instructions from the so-called ally and friend in the Middle East, are doing the same as in the George W (Weapons of Mass Deception) Bush’s mindless war of choice on Iraq.
Another proxy war for the benefit of I——l at the detriment and expense of We the People of the United States of America.
Serrano
A senior Trump administration official says the drone was in international waters while the Iranians say it was in their territorial waters. I'll have to go with our sources over Iran here. Trump is showing incredible restraint in calling off strikes against Iran in exchange for talks.
gcbel
i do credit Trump for making the right call in the end and NOT going through with the strike.
gcbel
Send Iran the bill, though. That’s an expensive piece of hardware.
Malinois1
Trump: They shot our drone down by accident.
Iran: No, we meant to shoot that sht down you big P, what are you going to do about it?
Trump: I'm going to tweet a stern disapproval.
yamada1043
The current occupant of the White House takes his orders from a so-called ally and friend in the region, at the detriment and expense of the United States of America.
wtfjapan
Bingo!
actually that sounds like a reply youd get from Hannity on Faux news
bass4funk
Sad, but war is very ugly. 2nd WW and the 1st many innocent civilians died as well.
We would never ask their permission. When we kicked out Huwai, we didn’t ask them either.
That would be liberals that’s whey they don’t have the WH.
Ok and? He’s still PM.
Anyway, Israel and the Saudis would back us.
Clinton didn’t care in Kosovo.
rlperez@hotmail.com.au
bass4funk: "Sad, but war is very ugly. 2nd WW and the 1st many innocent civilians died as well.''
Well, I have to admit that bass4funk is a brave and gallant KEYBOARD warrior. How many tours of duty did you do in Vietnam, in Afghanistan, in Iraq. Your a true warrior; American, non-American, military or civilian lives mean nothing to you- go get them man! You must be a 5 star general by now with all your military knowledge. Alternatively, you might be suffering from delusions of grandeur. Go get the cowboy.
bass4funk
A huge threat.
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-05-19/google-to-end-some-huawei-business-ties-after-trump-crackdown
Please tell that to the struggling Democrats that can’t seam to move ahead with their policies...what policies or removing this President for office. Lol
vinarius@pm.catv.ne.jp
trump still do not understand , what he is up against.
bass4funk
A lot of intelligence agencies from various countries that shared it came to the wrong conclusion, not solely the US.
And we got Saddam and No one misses the butcher or Baghdad.
No, the real reason
President George W. Bush, at the end of his Presidency, warned America of the risk of withdrawing precipitously from Iraq. Nevertheless, the United States military forces, under the direction of then President Obama, quickly started a withdrawal from Iraq that was completed in 2011. Not coincidentally, by April of 2013, the Islamic State of Iraq had united with al-Nusra Front to form Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS).
You are very confused if you think America could never drop atomic weapons on Iran or for that matter NK or any other country what so ever. The purpose of atomic weapons is not to use them. Maybe your country could get Israel to use their atomic bombs but it would also be the end of that country too.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/thomasdelbeccaro/2017/02/16/are-the-democrats-helping-isis-recruit/#13dd0d1526ff
Uh-huh...lol...keep telling yourself that.
They've done so many times covertly, thanks to the Mossad.
The US has a giant armada, air and sea, the Iranians wouldn’t last a week if the US were to unleash its maximum full might. I hope it doesn’t get to that, but even many of their military experts know, even China knows that’s why it won’t take the US on head to head for now at least.
I completely disagree.
No, he said, verbatim: “killing 150 Iranians over a downed drone is not worth the bloodshed.” That is what he has come to realize.