Nancy Pelosi speaks to reporters amid escalating tensions with Iran
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is addressing reporters on Capitol Hill at her weekly news conference on Thursday, as tensions between the U.S. and Iran spike.
U.S. officials say Iran shot down an American spy drone over international waters over the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran claims it shot down a U.S. drone flying in its airspace, and has condemned the alleged "provocative" act and warned of unspecified retaliation.
The U.S. military has denied that any of its aircraft were operating over Iran at the time, but officials confirmed to CBS News national security correspondent David Martin that an American drone was downed.
"Iran made a very big mistake!" President Trump tweeted Thursday morning.
Meanwhile, senior officials met at the White House Wednesday night after reports of a missile strike in Saudi Arabia, a White House official confirmed to CBS News. The U.S. is also blaming Iran for attacking two oil tankers targeted in the Strait of Hormuz last week, but Iran has denied any involvement.
Former acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan announced Monday the U.S. would be sending 1,000 troops to the Middle East.
Pelosi said that senior leadership Congress will be having a briefing Thursday afternoon on the situation in Iran.
"The high tension wires are up in the region. We have to be strong and strategic in how we protect our interests," Pelosi said. "I don't think the president wants to go to war. There's no appetite to go to war in our country."
She added that it is very important to work with allies in responding to Iranian aggression.
"We lost credibility when we walked away from the Iran nuclear agreement," Pelosi said.
Pelosi said in a statement Monday that the U.S. needed to be strategic, not "reckless and rash," in how it is counteracting Iran's threats.
"This deeply concerning decision may escalate the situation with Iran and risk serious miscalculations on either side," she said.
Pelosi also briefly commented on the controversy surrounding former Vice President Joe Biden touting his ties with segregationists in Congress, saying that Biden was "authentic" and that this controversy should not be the center of the election.
"We have massive challenges to our democracy," Pelosi said about what should be the focus of the primary and general elections. She added that the debate over Biden's comments should be had among the candidates, saying: "I'm not going to go to that place...Let them all debate about it."
Pelosi will also be meeting with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Thursday. The speaker is expected to make good on her wager with the leader after her hometown team, the Golden State Warriors, lost the NBA championship to the Toronto Raptors. Pelosi will be giving Trudeau some of California's best known products -- among them wine and Ghirardelli chocolate.
"We'll talk about other things, including trade, I'm sure. But we'll have to settle up first," Pelosi said.
Earlier in the day, Trudeau is visiting President Trump at the White House.
