The United States was "cocked & loaded," ready to strike three sites in Iran in retaliation for the downing of a U.S. drone over the Strait of Hormuz but called off the attacks at the last possible moment to spare Iranian lives.

The revelation by U.S. President Donald Trump on social media Friday followed a series of reports, first by The New York Times, that the president initially authorized strikes on a handful of Iranian targets, such as radar and missile batteries, before pulling back.

"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. 10 minutes before the strike I stopped it," Trump tweeted, saying the action would have been disproportionate. "I am in no hurry," Trump added. "Our Military is rebuilt, new, and ready to go, by far the best in the world."

The president also said that he authorized additional "biting" sanctions against Iran late Thursday night as part of his administration's maximum pressure campaign to force Iran to restart negotiations over its nuclear program. "Iran can NEVER have Nuclear Weapons, not against the USA, and not against the WORLD!” Trump tweeted.

The White House and Pentagon were said to be in agreement on the decision to hold off on retaliatory strikes. "There was complete unanimity amongst the president's advisors and DOD leadership on an appropriate response to Iran's activities. The president made the final decision," a senior administration official said Friday.

The move appears to pull both Washington and Tehran back from the brink of an armed conflict that could engulf much of the Middle East. The White House said President Trump spoke Friday with Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. "The two leaders discussed Saudi Arabia's critical role in ensuring stability in the Middle East and in the global oil market," said White House spokesperson Hogan Gidley. "They also discussed the threat posed by the Iranian regime's escalatory behavior."

The Reuters news agency reported early Friday that Iranian officials said they had received a message from Trump via Oman overnight, warning of the imminent attack but also that the United States was willing to talk on a range of issues.

But one of the Iranian officials said the offer to talk was met with a firm response. A U.S. administration official told VOA that Trump did not send a message to Iran. "It is a complete lie and propaganda from Iran," the official said.