US seeks closed-door Security Council meeting on Iran

WASHINGTON

The U.S. on Friday requested a closed-door meeting of the UN Security Council to address Iran, diplomatic sources said Friday.

The sources, who spoke to Anadolu Agency on condition of anonymity, said the US requested the meeting be held Monday so that Washington can present new evidence about attacks on two oil tankers in the Gulf of Oman it blames on Iran.

Kuwait, which holds the council presidency for the month of June, has yet to publicly confirm the request.

U.S. President Donald Trump said Friday he called off a retaliatory strike on Iranian targets that would have killed 150 people, calling it a disproportionate response to the downing of an American drone earlier this week.

"We were cocked & loaded to retaliate last night on 3 different sights when I asked, how many will die. 150 people, sir, was the answer from a General," Trump said on Twitter. "10 minutes before the strike I stopped it, not proportionate to shooting down an unmanned drone."

Trump has vowed to retaliate for Iran's Monday downing of a reconnaissance drone. Iran says the aircraft violated its airspace when it was attacked, but the Trump administration maintains it was in international airspace.