President Donald Trump authorized U.S. military strikes against Iran on Thursday, but officials abruptly pulled back from carrying them out just hours later, The New York Times reported. Any initial approval of military action by Trump would reflect a significant uptick in tensions between Washington and Tehran. On Thursday, Iran shot down an unmanned American spy drone that was flying over the Strait of Hormuz. The Iranian government said the aircraft had flown into the country’s airspace, although President Donald Trump said the drone was “clearly” in international waters. “It’s documented scientifically, not just words.”The president later said Iran had made “a very big mistake” in shooting down the drone.

Source: Huffington Post June 21, 2019 03:38 UTC