Trump's freewheeling remarks to reporters came after the president made the last-minute decision to call off an approved airstrike on Thursday
U.S. President Donald Trump, pictured here, talking to journalists as he departs the White House for a campaign rally in Pennsylvania May 20, 2019 in Washington, DC. Trump has vowed to increase sanctions against Iran following a heated standoff between the two countries.Amid rising tensions between the U.S. and Iran, President Donald Trump said Saturday that he would be the Islamic Republic's"best friend" if the country agreed to renounce nuclear weapons and abide by other demands.
gathered outside the White House."They're going to be so happy, and I'm going to be their best friend. I hope that happens."The standoff between Washington and Tehran escalated in recent weeks following an attack on two commercial oil tankers Gulf of Oman. Then, on Thursday, Iran shot down an unmanned U.S. Navy drone that the country said had violated its airspace; the U.S. has insisted the drone was legally flying over international waters when it was destroyed.
that Democrats blasted as"erratic" and some of his fellow conservatives charged as"a mistake." According to the"We were cocked & loaded to retaliate last night on 3 different sights when I asked, how many will die," Trump wrote on Twitter on Friday."150 people, sir, was the answer from a General. 10 minutes before the strike I stopped it, not proportionate to shooting down an unmanned drone.
In 2018, Trump pulled out of a multinational nuclear deal with Iran and several European and Asian powers. Under that agreement, the countries would ease sanctions against the Islamic Republic in exchange for Tehran severely curtailing its nuclear program. The other signatories to that pact have continued to abide by its conditions, but the Trump administration has engaged in a"maximum pressure" campaign that has left the Iranian economy crippled under.
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