Donald Trump approved air strikes on Iran, then pulled back: Report

Airstrikes would have marked a dramatic escalation in the already high tensions between the two nations and would raise the specter of a broader conflict in the volatile region

President Donald Trump approved military strikes on Iran after an American drone was shot down by Iranian armed forces, but then decided not to go through with them, the New York Times reported Thursday night. The targets included radar and missile batteries, the newspaper said, citing unnamed administration officials. The operation was actually underway on Thursday evening — with planes and ships heading toward their targets — when the administration called off the attack, according to the Times.

The White House declined to comment on the report. The Times said it was unclear why the attack did not go forward. Airstrikes would have marked a dramatic escalation in the already high tensions between the two nations and would raise the specter of a broader conflict in the volatile region, which supplies one-third of the world’s oil.

Earlier Thursday, Donald Trump downplayed Iran’s attack on the US Navy drone in the Persian Gulf that escalated regional tensions and fueled a surge in oil prices, suggesting a “loose and stupid” individual may have been responsible for the strike.

“I would imagine it was a general or somebody who made a mistake by shooting that drone down,” Trump said during an Oval Office meeting Thursday with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. “I find it hard to believe it was intentional. It could have been somebody who was loose and stupid.” The last time the US launched a significant military operation against Iran was Operation Praying Mantis in 1988. In that operation, US Navy ships sank two Iranian ships and destroyed two Iranian surveillance platforms.

How two steps East, two steps South helped BJP cross the 300 mark

Modi garners nearly 37% votes nationally, courtesy massive gains in West Bengal, Odisha, Karnataka, and Telangana

In an extraordinary discretionary presentation, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has shed its picture as a power restricted to the Hindi heartland and western states, and made huge advances into the east and the south. Aside from the close decisive victories in its center districts, the BJP crossed a count of 300 seats chiefly inferable from its advances in West Bengal, Odisha and Telangana, and union of its fortress in Karnataka.

This guaranteed a reverberating greater part win for the BJP, offsetting the misfortunes from the Mahagathbandhan in Uttar Pradesh. While the BJP contained its misfortune in UP to nine seats — down to 62 from 71 it had won in 2014 — it picked up 34 situates in the four states referenced, when this paper went to press. This happened politeness a proficient transformation of vote offer to seats in these states.

Broadly, the BJP has accumulated more than 37 percent votes in the 2019 surveys (as indicated by Business Standard figurings), adding six rate focuses to the 31 percent in 2014. This presentation is about practically identical with Indira Gandhi’s in the 1967-1980 period, when the Congress’ vote share drifted between 40 percent and 43 percent. 

As per temporary information, the Congress earned just shy of 20 percent votes, possibly higher than 19.5 percent in 2014. Its seat count stayed at 52 at the season of going to press.

The BJP dramatically increased its voter base in Bengal, from 17 percent in 2014, to almost 40 percent of the state voting in favor of the saffron party in 2019. This helped the BJP increment its seat count from 2 to 18. This represents a genuine risk to the political aspirations of Mamata Banerjee, the double cross boss clergyman..

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Rahul’s dig at Modi: Do all aircraft disappear from radar when it rains?

The Congress leader also made a veiled reference to Modi’s interaction with actor Akshay Kumar in which the PM revealed that he loved mangoes as a child and still loves them

Congress president Rahul Gandhi Tuesday ripped into Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his comments that overcast spread “helped” IAF planes dodge Pakistani radars amid the Balakot strikes. Tending to a race rally in front of the fourth and last period of Lok Sabha surveys in Madhya Pradesh, Gandhi likewise looked to recognize what did Modi accomplish for the jobless youth. “Modi ji, at whatever point it rains in India, do all flying machine vanish from the radar,” Gandhi said.

The Congress head likewise made a hidden reference to Modi’s communication with on-screen character Akshay Kumar in which the PM uncovered that he cherished mangoes as a kid and still adores them. “Modi ji, you educated (us) how to eat mangoes; presently tell the nation what you accomplished for jobless youth,” he said.

Gandhi said his gathering’s proposed least salary ensure conspire Nyay will kick off the Indian economy and set right the “bad form” done due to GST and demonetisation. The economy has been left in the doldrums because of defective GST execution and demonetisation.

“The Nyay plan will profit five crore families who procure not as much as Rs 12,000 every month. This implies Rs 72,000 will be saved in the financial balances of recipients every year and Rs 3.6 lakh in five years,” he said. Demonetisation and GST have left lakhs of individuals jobless and little and medium ventures have been left hanging, Gandhi said. “The Nyay plan will guarantee that individuals begin obtaining products, while little and medium organizations can begin fabricating the merchandise bringing about work openings,” he said…

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