President Donald Trump said Friday that the U.S. was “cocked and loaded’ to retaliate against Iran for downing an American drone, but canceled the missile strikes 10 minutes before they were to be executed after being told some 150 people could die.
Trump tweeted Friday that the U.S. will never allow Iran to have a nuclear weapon. But he said he’s in no hurry to respond to the downing of the U.S. surveillance drone over the Strait of Hormuz. His statement was the latest indication that he does not want to escalate the clash with Tehran, but he didn’t rule out a future U.S. strike.
He said U.S. economic sanctions are crippling the Iranian economy and more are being added.
Iran claimed Friday it had issued several warnings before shooting down the drone over what it said was Iranian territory.
More must-read stories from Fortune:
—Trump’s MAGA rallies cost big bucks—and cities foot the bills
—Black women voters will be central to the 2020 election, experts predict
—Can Trump fire Fed Chair Jerome Powell? What history tells us
—Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s message for democrats after “boy bye” tweet
—What you need to know about the upcoming 2020 primary debates
Get up to speed on your morning commute with Fortune’sCEO Daily newsletter.