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Republican Reps. Kevin McCarthy, Michael McCaul, Devin Nunes and Mac Thornberry called for a “measured response” following Thursday’s drone attack by Iran.
The lawmakers, who were briefed on the attack at the White House Thursday, issued this statement:
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said he spoke to President Trump about the Iran drone attack during a briefing for congressional leaders at the White House today.
He continued: “We told the room that the Democratic position is that congressional approval must be required before funding any kind of conflict in Iran. One of the best ways to avoid bumbling into war, a war that nobody wants, is to have a robust, open debate and for Congress to have a real say. We learned that lesson in the run-up to Iraq.”
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who also attended the meeting, said it is essential the US remain “engaged with our allies.”
“In light of the targeting of an unmanned US drone by Iran, it is essential that we remain fully engaged with our allies, recognize that we are not dealing with a responsible adversary and do everything in our power to de-escalate,” she said in a statement.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell just returned from a briefing on Iran at the White House.
He said the briefing confirmed what the Pentagon has said publicly.
“The UAV was fired on from Iranian soil. It was in international waters,” McConnell said.
McConnell called it a good briefing and said the administration is considering “measured responses.”
Iran said the US drone they shot down was a “blatant violation of international law,” calling on the international community to demand the US end “its continued unlawful and destabilizing measure in the already volatile region of the Persian Gulf.”
In a new letter to the United Nations Secretary General António Guterres and United Nations Security Council, Majid Takht Ravanchi, Iran’s ambassador to the UN, wrote:
Ravanchi added: “Iran condemns, in the strongest possible terms, this irresponsible and provocative wrongful act by the United States, which entails its international responsibility.”
Earlier today, the UN secretary general said he was very concerned about developments in the Gulf region, including the reported downing of a US drone by Iran.
“He appeals to all sides to exercise maximum restraint and avoid any action that can escalate the already tense situation,” his spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said in a statement.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is “a triangulator” between President Trump and national security adviser John Bolton on the topic of Iran, a senior diplomatic source of a US ally told CNN.
A senior White House official told CNN that there is a Bolton v. Trump debate on how to proceed on Iran, and Trump definitely does not want conflict. The source said Pompeo, Vice President Mike Pence and incoming acting Secretary of Defense Mark Esper are the “swing votes.”
A US Navy official told CNN that approximate cost of the RQ-4A Global Hawk drone is $110 million.
What we know: Both the US and Iran say Iranian forces shot down the US drone. However, the two countries have given different reports on where it went down.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guard said it had shot down an “intruding American spy drone” after it entered into the country’s territory Thursday.
A US official confirmed to CNN a drone had been shot down, but said the incident occurred in international airspace over the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most vital shipping route.
Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif has tweeted a timeline of the US drone that was shot down on Thursday by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corp (IRGC).
In his tweet, Zarif said the drone “violated Iranian airspace.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called on “nations who desire peace and security” to support the United States in its position against Iran.
Earlier in the week, Netanyahu called on the international community to impose sanctions against Iran if it enriches low-grade uranium beyond the limits allowed in the Iran nuclear deal, which he staunchly opposed.
Next week, Israel will host national security adviser John Bolton and his Russian counterpart, Nikolai Patrushev, in Jerusalem to discuss Syria and Iran.
Netanyahu tweeted a video message Thursday, saying Iran’s actions are “against all of us.”
See it:
The Pentagon is walking a “fine line” focusing on defense and deterrence and keeping anti-Iran political rhetoric out of the internal high-level discussions, a senior US official said.
General Joseph Dunford, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, continued to point out in internal discussions that what to do about Iran is a policy question, the official said. If the policy is a military response, then Dunford is prepared to explain in detail the cost of doing that in every discussion.
The bottom line: The fine line is defend and deter without tipping over into provocation — which is why you see limited numbers of forces going for now.
The official said the military view is this:
National security adviser John Bolton and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo have both been briefed in detail on military options for Iran, including how many forces and how long it takes to get them there, the source said. Pompeo was recently told in detail what it would take to go to war against Iran.
A senior White House official told CNN that prior to today, the attacks have been not aimed at US, but “now that changes since it is our stuff…It is a clear escalation.”
Iranian forces shot down a US 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 what we know so far:
President Trump insisted Thursday his hawkish advisers are not leading him into war.
And while he reiterated his view that endless wars need to end, he cast the downing of a US spy drone by Iran as a new provocation.
Trump has said privately over the past weeks that he is not interested in wading into another foreign conflict. And he’s been frustrated in the past that some of his advisers appear to use tougher rhetoric.
But he denied Thursday that any of his team is pushing him toward conflict.
“No, not at all. Not at all. In fact in many cases it’s the opposite,” he said. “Look, I said I want to get out of these endless wars. I campaigned on that. I want to get out.”
The Department of Defense has released a video purporting to show a trail of smoke after the RQ-4A Global Hawk was shot down over the Gulf of Oman.
Watch the video below:
President Trump said Thursday that he believes Iran mistakenly shot down the US drone, saying he finds it “hard to believe it was intentional.”
“I find it hard to believe it was intentional. I think it could’ve been somebody that was loose and stupid,” Trump said. “It was a very foolish move, that I can tell you.”
Trump assured that the situation is “all going to work out.”
The President also said that it made a “big, big difference” that the drone — which by definition is unmanned — had “nobody in” it.
President Trump said Thursday that Iran “made a big mistake,” saying that the drone was “clearly” flying in international airspace.
Trump said the US has “scientifically” documented evidence that the drone was in international airspace.
Asked whether the US would respond to the attack or go to war with Iran, Trump said, “You’ll find out.”
“Obviously, you know, we’re not going to be talking too much about it. You’ll find out. They made a very big mistake,” Trump said.
UN Secretary General António Guterres is “very concerned” about developments in the gulf, including reports of the downing of a US drone by Iran, and “appeals to all sides to exercise maximum restraint,” according to his spokesperson.
In a statement, Guterres’ spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said:
A US general in the region said Iran’s action was “an unprovoked attack.”
Lt. General Joseph Guastella, commander US Air Forces Central Command, said during a briefing at the Pentagon that the US drone never entered Iranian airspace.
Iran has claimed this happened in Iranian airspace but Guastella said that is “categorically false.” He added, “The aircraft was over the Strait of Hormuz, and fell into international waters. At the time of the intercept, the RQ-4 was operating at high altitude, approximately 34 kilometers from the nearest point of land on the Iranian coast.”
Guastella was briefing Pentagon reporters remotely from Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar and did not take any questions
President Trump, who’s meeting with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau at the White House, was just asked if the US is going to war with Iran.
The two leaders will have a bilateral meeting in the Oval Office.
Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi confirmed that there is an briefing this morning on Capitol Hill on Iran.
Members of the Gang of 20 – leaders from both the House and Senate and senior members — will be there. They will “learn more” about the ongoing situation in Iran during the briefing, she said. It is unclear who is briefing today.
There will also be a broader Iran briefing for more members between 4 p.m. and 5 p.m., according to Pelosi.
“I think it’s a dangerous situation,” said Pelosi in today’s press conference when talking about Iran. “The high-tension wires are up in the region. We have to be strong and strategic about how we protect our interests. We also cannot be reckless in what we do.”
However, she doesn’t believe President Trump wants to go to war, she said.
“There’s no appetite for going to war in our country,” Pelosi said. “I don’t think the President wants to go to war.”
The White House is holding a meeting today to discuss a response to Iran shooting down a US military drone, a person familiar with the plans tells CNN.
An official now says that President Trump is attending the meeting alongside defense officials. Earlier CNN reported that Trump wasn’t expected to attend.
Acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan, incoming Acting Defense Secretary Mark Esper and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo are all expected to be at the meeting.
