Trump says the U.S. was “cocked and loaded” to retaliate against Iran for downing an American drone BUT

Vatican appeals to U.S. and Iran to step back from escalating tensions in the Persian Gulf, calls for a political friendship

President Donald Trump says the U.S. was “cocked and loaded” to retaliate against Iran for downing an American drone, but canceled the strikes 10 minutes before they were to be carried out after being told some 150 people could die.
Trump tweeted Friday that the U.S. was ready to “retaliate last night on 3 different sights when I asked, how many will die.” He said a general told him 150 people, and he canceled the strikes as “not proportionate to shooting down an unmanned drone.”

Trump tweeted that the U.S. will never allow Iran to have a nuclear weapon. But he says he’s in no hurry to respond to the downing of the U.S. surveillance drone over the Strait of Hormuz.

He says U.S. sanctions are crippling the Iranian economy and that more are being added.

A Vatican cardinal is begging the U.S. and Iran to step back from escalating tensions in the Persian Gulf, calling instead for political friendship.

In a tweet Friday, Ghanaian Cardinal Peter Turkson wrote: “On our knees, let’s pray USA & IRAN do not unsheathe the weapons of war!” He followed it by tweeting: “Let nations cultivate political friendship and not mutual demonization. The former builds peace, the latter kills it.”

Tensions have been heightened after Iran shot down a U.S. military surveillance drone over the Strait of Hormuz. The U.S. said it made plans for limited strikes on Iran in response, but then called them off.

Turkson heads the Holy See’s development and migrant department, and long headed the Vatican office of justice and peace.

AP