US bars civilian flights from area of Iran drone shootdown

WASHINGTON: Washington on Thursday barred American civilian flights from the area where Iran shot down a US military drone, a strike that President Donald Trump slammed as a “big mistake.” The downing of the drone — which Washington insists was above international waters but Iran says was within its territory — has seen tensions between the two countries spike further after a series of attacks on tanker ships the US blamed on Tehran.
Under pressure to respond to the high-stakes incident in the strategic Strait of Hormuz, Trump initially struck a combative tone.
“Iran made a very big mistake!” he tweeted in response to news Iran had shot down the Global Hawk surveillance aircraft.
“This country will not stand for it, that I can tell you,” he said later at the White House.
But as the overnight incident whipped up fears of open conflict between the United States and its declared foe Iran — sending crude oil prices soaring — Trump moved swiftly to dial back tensions.