Trump says he called off Iran strikes when told 150 people would be killed

Donald Trump.
(Image credit: MANDEL NGAN/AFP/Getty Images)

President Trump on Friday confirmed he called off military strikes against Iran at the last moment, saying he decided this would not have been a "proportionate" response.

Trump tweeted following a New York Times report that the operation was called off on Thursday night while planes were in the air, although the report wasn't clear on what led to the sudden change in strategy. This came after Iran shot down a U.S. drone, which Iran said was in its airspace while the U.S. said it was in international airspace.

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Brendan Morrow

Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.