A U.S. warship shot down an Iranian drone in the Persian Gulf on Thursday, President Donald Trump said.
The drone got within 1,000 yards of the U.S.S. Boxer, a Navy warship, and refused to back off after it was hailed multiple times, Trump told the press on Thursday afternoon. The president said that the drone posed a threat to the ship and its crew.
“This is the latest of many provocative and hostile actions by Iran against vessels operating in international waters,” Trump said. “The United States reserves the right to defend our personnel, our facilities and interests, and calls upon all nations to condemn Iran’s attempts to disrupt freedom of navigation and global commerce.”
BREAKING: US has “destroyed” an Iranian drone in Strait of Hormuz, President Trump says; asserts that the drone ignored warnings from USS Boxer to stand down as it neared the ship. pic.twitter.com/oQh9ZuhCju
— NBC News (@NBCNews) July 18, 2019