Trump downplays Iranian shootdown of US surveillance drone
WASHINGTON - A Navy surveillance drone was shot down by a missile fired from Iran, the Pentagon said Thursday, but U.S. and Iranian military officials disputed whether the unmanned aircraft was in Iranian airspace.
The incident was the most serious military clash between the U.S. and Iran since the Pentagon began beefing up its presence in the Middle East in early May, saying intelligence indicated that Iran was preparing to attack U.S. forces or allies.
President Donald Trump said Iran "made a very bad mistake." But he played down the attack, suggesting it was inadvertent or a misjudgment by a rogue general or military unit and perhaps not a direct provocation by Iran's government.
"I have a feeling it was a
