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When the United States almost struck Iran after the destruction of a drone

(B2) This is a series of tweets that will have to be kept and which will remain in certain memories. This morning (June 21, 14 p.m. Paris time) US President Donald Trump confirmed the story of a series of three interrupted US strikes, in extremis, on Iran. A sudden act of generosity?

The US Navy MQ-4 drone (US Navy photo by Erik Hildebrandt/Released)

Iran on Thursday (June 20) shot down a Global Hawk drone that allegedly violated its airspace. Version disputed by the US government, emphasizing that the aircraft was over international waters, but not denying that it was 'observing' Iranian territory (see box)

Trump on sight of possible death toll backs down

“On Monday (1), they [the Iranians] shot down an unarmed drone flying over international waters. We were armed and ready to fight back last night against three different sites when I asked how many (people) were going to die. 150 people, sir, was a general's answer. Ten minutes before the strike, I stopped it, it was out of proportion to an attack on an unmanned aircraft. »

The refusal of nuclear weapons for Iran

And to add: There is no rush, our army has been rebuilt, renovated, and is ready to go. [She] is by far the best in the world. Penalties knock and [others] were added last night. Iran will NEVER be allowed to have nuclear weapons, not against the USA, and not against the WORLD! »

A clear message from Tehran to Washington

General Hossein Salami, head of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), confirmed the incident on Thursday. A US RQ-4 Global Hawk surveillance drone was shot down by the Revolutionary Guards Air Force near the Kouh-e Mobarak area in the central Jask district, “ after the plane violated Iranian airspace » according to the agency Fars. It is " a clear message sent according to him to the United States and to any enemy. " Borders are our red lines and any enemy who violates them will not return home and will be wiped out. The only way for enemies is to respect Iran's territorial integrity and national interests ", he added.

(Nicolas Gros-Verheyde)


A deliberate attack according to the American command

Le US central command acknowledged the loss of a " US Navy RQ-4 aircraft ". This one flew well over the Gulf of Oman and the Strait of Hormuz to carry out a " monitoring mission ". But he refutes the violation of the territory. He found himself " in international airspace near the scene of recent IRGC seaborne attacks. around Goruk, Iran » and did «  never violated Iranian airspace during its mission ».


(1) This is Thursday and not Monday as mentioned by Donald Trump

Nicolas Gros Verheyde

Chief editor of the B2 site. Graduated in European law from the University of Paris I Pantheon Sorbonne and listener to the 65th session of the IHEDN (Institut des Hautes Etudes de la Défense Nationale. Journalist since 1989, founded B2 - Bruxelles2 in 2008. EU/NATO correspondent in Brussels for Sud-Ouest (previously West-France and France-Soir).

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