Tehran has received a message from U.S. President Donald Trump, sent via Oman, warning about U.S. plans to attack the Islamic Republic, media reported on Friday citing Iranian sources.
According to Reuters, Iran was given “a short period of time’’ to respond to U.S. warning.
“In his message, Trump said he was against any war with Iran and wanted to talk to Tehran about various issues.
“He gave a short period of time to get our response, but Iran’s immediate response was that it is up to Supreme Leader (Ayatollah Ali) Khamenei to decide about this issue,’’ an Iranian official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told the news outlet.
The news comes after Iran on Thursday downed a U.S. spy drone over the coastal Hormozgan province, facing the Persian Gulf, for entering the national airspace.
The U.S. military confirmed that the drone had been shot down, but said it was flying in international airspace.
Mr Trump said Iran had made a “big mistake’’ but later told reporters perhaps it was not intentional.
The New York Times newspaper later reported, citing senior U.S. administration officials, that the U.S. president had authorised strikes on a number of targets in Iran in response to the downing of the drone by Tehran’s forces but had subsequently called off his decision. (Sputnik/NAN)