WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - A month after Iranian forces shot down an unmanned U.S. surveillance drone, President Donald Trump said Thursday the U.S. Navy has shot down an Iranian drone in the Strait of Hormuz.
Trump told reporters the USS Boxer took defensive action after the drone closed to within 1,000 yards of the amphibious assault ship and ignored multiple calls to stand down.
The president claimed the Iranian drone threatened the safety of the ship and its crew and 'was immediately destroyed.'
Trump called the drone's approach of the Boxer 'the latest of many provocative and hostile actions against vessels operating in international waters.'
The downing of the Iranian drone comes after the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps shot down an unmanned U.S. surveillance drone last month.
The Trump administration claimed the drone was over international waters when it was shot down, although the IRGC argued the drone was flying over Iranian territory.
The U.S. was on the verge of retaliating against Iran, but Trump later revealed that he called off the attack just '10 minutes before the strike.'
Trump said he decided to call off the military strikes amid concerns the number of expected casualties was not a 'proportionate' response to Iran shooting down an unmanned drone.
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