Ocasio-Cortez tells White House to ‘put down its saber,’ and negotiate with Iran

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cPentagon releases video of Iran shooting down US drone

Former U.S. Ambassador to Bahrain Adam Ereli and former National Security Adviser to Vice President Dick Cheney John Hannah weigh in on how the U.S. will respond to Iran shooting down a military drone.

U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., took to Twitter late Thursday to urge the Trump administration to show restraint in its dealings with Iran.

The freshman congresswoman's request came after the White House blamed Tehran for recent attacks on two oil tankers in the Strait of Hormuz and the downing of a drone in international airspace.

"This administration needs to put down its saber and pick up a phone," Ocasio-Cortez wrote.

Ocasio-Cortez, who has emerged as a leading voice for Democrats, has been a fierce critic of Trump’s domestic and foreign policy. She was asked by CNN about “the handling of Iran” and responded, “I think they’re trying to goad us into a military conflict that’s completely irresponsible.”

She ended her tweet, “Diplomacy is what grants us peace and stability- not war.”

It is unclear if Iran would be willing to accept any diplomatic overtures from the U.S. despite Ocasio-Cortez’s urging. Iran’s Supreme Leader Sayyid Ali Hosseini Khamenei took a personal shot at President Trump last week when he was pressed about the oil tankers. He said Trump was not “worthy” of a reply.

“I do not have any reply for him, now or in the future,” he said.

Top White House officials met for a classified briefing that lasted over an hour about the recent downing of a U.S. Navy drone and those in attendance suggested that a “measured” response is likely coming soon.

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The New York Times reported that Trump approved strikes on Iranian targets including radar and missile batteries, but the plan was called off. The paper, citing a senior administration official, reported that planes and ships were in position, but were told to stand down.

Fox News could not immediately confirm the Times’ report. The State Department did not immediately respond to an email from Fox News early Friday.