ADVERTISEMENT

Trump Suggests Iran's Downing of U.S. Drone Wasn't Intentional

Trump said Iran made “a very bad mistake” by shooting down a U.S. drone but suggested it was an error by an individual.

Trump Suggests Iran's Downing of U.S. Drone Wasn't Intentional
U.S. President Donald Trump gestures while speaking during a rally in Orlando, Florida, U.S. (Photographer: Marco Bello/Bloomberg)

(Bloomberg) -- President Donald Trump said Iran made “a very bad mistake” by shooting down a U.S. drone but suggested it was an error by an individual who was “loose and stupid” and he declined to detail any potential U.S. response.

“I would imagine it was a general or somebody who made a mistake by shooting that drone down,” Trump said during an Oval Office meeting with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. “I find it hard to believe it was intentional. It could have been somebody who was loose and stupid.”

Iran and the U.S. continue to dispute whether the U.S. Navy drone was over international or Iranian waters when it was shot down near the entrance to the Persian Gulf, escalating tensions in a region that’s been on the brink of a military confrontation for weeks.

Iranian media said the aircraft was hit inside Iranian airspace. The Pentagon said the drone was 34 kilometers (about 20 miles) away from Iranian territory when it was struck.

To contact the reporter on this story: Josh Wingrove in Washington at jwingrove4@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Alex Wayne at awayne3@bloomberg.net, Joshua Gallu, Bill Faries

©2019 Bloomberg L.P.