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Trump Reportedly Approved Military Retaliation after Iran Shootdown of US
Drone

Steve Herman

   Jeff Seldin, Carla Babb, Katherine Gypson, Ken Bredemeier contributed
   to this report.

   WASHINGTON --National security officials in Washington are declining
   comment on newspaper reports that U.S. President Donald Trump approved
   military strikes against in Iran on Thursday, but then pulled back from
   launching them for unknown reasons.

   Trump initially authorized attacks on a handful of Iranian targets,
   such as radar and missile batteries, according to The New York Times.

   The Washington Post subsequently also reported that administration
   officials said the president approved the counterstrikes.

   It is not clear whether Trump simply changed his mind on the strikes or
   whether the administration altered course because of logistics or
   strategy, the newspaper reported late Thursday, adding it is also not
   clear whether the attacks might still go forward.

   FAA emergency order

   The Federal Aviation Administration Thursday evening issued an
   emergency order prohibiting all U.S. aircraft operators from entering
   airspace above parts of the Persian Gulf and Gulf of Oman -- the region
   where a U.S. Navy drone was shot down by Iran.

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