President Trump said in a pool spray with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau Thursday that he does not believe Iran intentionally shot down an unmanned U.S. drone flying in international airspace over the Strait of Hormuz, claiming it was probably "a mistake made by somebody who shouldn't have been doing what they did."
"I think it could have been somebody who was loose and stupid that did it. We'll be able to report back and you'll understand exactly what happened. It was a very foolish move. That I can tell you."
Why it matters: Fears over how the Trump administration will respond to the latest Iranian provocation have reached a new high. Before welcoming Trudeau, Trump met with national security adviser John Bolton, Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to discuss next steps.
- Asked if the U.S. was prepared to strike Iran, Trump told reporters: "You'll find out."
- The White House is invited Democratic and Republican leaders to attend a briefing on Iran this afternoon.
Of note: The Pentagon released a statement before Trump spoke calling the drone incident "dangerous and escalatory, claiming it was "an unprovoked attack on a U.S. surveillance asset that had not violated Iranian airspace." The Pentagon also released a video of the drone attack.