The U.S. destroyed an Iranian drone over the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday, President Trump announced in the East Room of the White House.
The president claimed the action was a defensive one after an Iranian drone came within 1,000 yards of the U.S.S. Boxer. Mr. Trump has threatened overwhelming force if Iran touches any American assets. The action also comes after Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard forces seized a foreign oil tanker.
“Before I begin I want to apprise everyone of an incident in the strait of Hormuz today involving U.S.S. Boxer, a Navy amphibious assault ship,” Mr. Trump announced on Thursday during a flag ceremony with Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte. “The Boxer took defensive action against an Iranian drone, which had closed into a very, very near distance, approximately 1,000 yards, ignoring multiple calls to stand down and was threatening the safety of the ship and the ship’s crew. The drone was immediately destroyed.”
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“This is the latest of many provocative and hostile actions by Iran against vessels operating in international waters,” the president continued. “The United States reserves the right to defend our personnel, our facilities, and interests, and calls upon all nations to condemn Iran’s attempts to disrupt freedom of navigation and global commerce. I also call on other nations to protect their ships as they go through the strait. And to work with us in the future. Thank you very much. I thought you should know that.”
U.S. Central Command also confirmed the incident, saying the drone ignored repeated warnings.
Rep. Adam Smith, chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, told CBS News he met with national security adviser John Bolton, who updated him on the drone incident Thursday. The U.S., Smith explained, felt that the drone had violated the airspace and was deemed a threat to U.S. forces in the region.
It’s unclear what comes next, as tensions between the U.S. and Iran remain incredibly tense. Iran shot down a U.S. drone last month in the Persian Gulf region, and Mr. Trump was poised to strike back. But he opted for cyberattacks instead.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
