Iranian boat fired missile at US drone prior to tanker attack, US official says
Source: CNN
Washington (CNN)In the hours before the attack on the two tankers in the Gulf of Oman on Thursday, the Iranians spotted a US drone flying overhead and launched a surface-to-air missile at the unmanned aircraft, a US official told CNN.
The missile missed the drone and fell into the water, the official said.
Prior to taking fire, the American MQ-9 drone observed Iranian vessels closing in on the tankers, the official added, though the source did not say whether the unmanned aircraft saw the boats conducting an actual attack.
Still, it is the first claim that the US has information of Iranian movements prior to the attack.
Read more: https://www.cnn.com/2019/06/14/politics/us-drone-tracked-iranian-boats/index.html
This is not looking good. In the article it mentions that the UK apparently believes that Iran is responsible. It also quotes a diplomatic source of a US ally (without specifying whether it's the UK or a different nation) saying that they believe Iran is responsible.
Bolton and Pompeo are licking their chops at the thought of going after Iran. An earlier article on CNN had something about Trump wanting to avoid "foreign entanglements" but with the way Dolt 45 flip-flops, who the hell knows.
procon
(15,805 posts)Jedi Guy
(3,171 posts)Kurt V.
(5,624 posts)Iliyah
(25,111 posts)This administration lies. And I guess they don't care that many will die because they want Iran's oil.
atreides1
(16,046 posts)"The crew of a Japanese-owned tanker hit in an apparent attack in the Gulf of Oman saw a "flying object" before a second blast on board, the operator's head said Friday."
The MQ-9 Reaper is the primary offensive strike unmanned aerial vehicle for the U.S. Air Force.
PSPS
(13,512 posts)SCVDem
(5,103 posts)Gulf of Tonkin
Iraq and now Iran
War mongering to stay in power and in the money.
I don't trust my government and that's a sad statement!
bahrbearian
(13,466 posts)Sanctions are War Crimes
John "new Pearl Harbor" Bolton has run out of fresh lies a long time ago already.
Fake News!
Little hands Donnie never stopped to think how we could throw that phrase back in his face.
walkingman
(7,505 posts)he will start a war and America will be all "Support the Troops" and Walmart will be selling the yellow ribbons. America loves it's wars.
Dennis Donovan
(18,770 posts)The conspiracy would be limited to only a few people, so easier to get away with.
It's simply ILLOGICAL that Iran would have done this, an attack on a Japanese ship with PM Abe in Tehran.
Farmer-Rick
(10,071 posts)Around here in very rural America, some old timers don't know what drones are. If a small helicopter thingy comes flying overhead, it gets shot at. It's common knowledge it's not safe to fly drones in the woods around here.
hack89
(39,171 posts)The IRG know exactly what US drones look like. The are competent and well trained.
procon
(15,805 posts)or a remake of Cheney's WMD scam.
The entire unverifiable article is attributed to some unnamed US official, an unidentified person from the Pentagon, Trump's Defense Dept., and a Trump parroting diplomat to the UN...meaning Trump flacks the lot of 'em!
WTF is a "senior diplomatic source of a US ally", could they be anymore vague and suspicious?
What Trump's lackey said that might actually point to the truth was the US drone overhead. What clandestine role might it have played in those flying objects the tanker captain witnessed as his ship was struck.
asiliveandbreathe
(8,203 posts)The US has recently deployed the USS Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group and a bomber task force to the Strait of Hormuz in response to a "number of troubling and escalatory indications and warnings" from Iran, a US official with direct knowledge of the situation told CNN at the time.
Just how many destroyers and battleships and subs come along with a strike group...
The Carrier Strike Group (CSG), composed of roughly 7,500 personnel, an aircraft carrier, at least one cruiser, a flotilla of six to 10 destroyers and/or frigates, and a carrier air wing of 65 to 70 aircraft.
A carrier strike group also, on occasion, includes submarines, attached logistics ships and a supply ship. The carrier strike group commander operationally reports to the commander of the numbered fleet, who is operationally responsible for the area of waters in which the carrier strike group is operating.
That's some kind of SMALL, so called Iranian boat, pulling SOMETHING from a tanker...now, just how do you suppose it got through....
History repeating..of course it is...Gulf of Tonkin...Iraq....this is BS....
marble falls
(56,353 posts)and hit that ship.
tenderfoot
(8,424 posts)Ford_Prefect
(7,817 posts)He said they took incoming fire before the explosion.
The Reaper is a very well armed, remotely piloted attack aircraft which is well capable of attacking ground and sea targets. They are not easily tracked by radar since they are smaller than a typical single-engine aircraft. Being piloted remotely there are no radio conversations to be overhead, either. Just sayin'...
I feel it is far more likely this was a provocation provided courtesy of our friends the Neo-Cons, or an agent of their friends, or an interested party stirring mischief. Iran would not attack a Japanese flagged ship while Abe was meeting with them. They want to trade with Japan and can gain nothing by such actions.
So what we have is something that neither walks like a duck nor quacks like one.
However, Pompeo claims there is Intel that confirms Iran as the fowl in question. A man who has previously disputed with Intel agencies on other issues now insists they have proof which we MUST believe without question. The last time I recall the same voices saying this we were told to believe that WMD were still in Iraq and pointed at the USA. I also note that neither the proof nor the source of that proof has been made public.
Kennedy had U-2 photos of missile installations in Cuba to make his case. Yet with all the US military patrol aircraft, ship, and land-based radar, satellite and Awacs monitoring of the area in question, which is among the busiest commercial sea lanes, we have no record of any kind at all. That dog don't hunt.
McKim
(2,412 posts)When you see US Officials say..... you know they are lying. Iran has a right to be in the Persian Gulf, it is their territory and sphere of influence. Why are we there? To start a war to distract from Trumps problems and to carry out the PNAC plan to destroy and control the countries of the Middle East to get their resources and etc. Dont buy the lies!!!!! If we dont stop them this time, they will stop at nothing to get what they want, no matter how many will die for their crimes.
Tiggeroshii
(11,088 posts):
LiberalLovinLug
(14,153 posts)From the article:
The Trump administration predicted that the pressure from the United States would bring Iran to the negotiating table, but European leaders disagreed, believing it would empower the hardliners, the source continued.
aaaaaaaaaand guess who was wrong again.
jpak
(41,741 posts)And there is ***(((NO)))*** footage of the attack itself.
How come?????
BlueIdaho
(13,582 posts)Havent we seen this all before?
Turbineguy
(37,206 posts)I just realized!
I have forgotten all about the Russian election interference, Trump's obstruction of justice and impeachment!
If it is Iran, it seems possible that it's over-zealousness of the Republican Guard.