January 17, 2011
Iran shot down two U.S. Navy drones outside its airspace in the Gulf, ILNA news agency quoted a top military commander as saying on Sunday.
The head of Guards' air force, Amir Ali Hajizadeh, said on Jan. 2 that his forces had shot down two drones after they "violated" Iranian territory.
But on Sunday, Gen. Gholam Ali Rashid, the deputy chief of staff of Iran's armed forces, said the unmanned aircraft were shot down outside the airspace of the Islamic republic.
"We have to say that these planes were shot down outside Iran's airspace, which means outside our FIR [Flight Information Region], in the Persian Gulf by the air force of the Sepah [Guards]," Rashid said.
He did not explain why the Guards struck at the drones outside Iran's airspace.
Soon after the initial report from Hajizadeh, Western media quoted U.S. officials as rejecting the statement.
But on Saturday, the commander of the Guards' naval forces, Ali Fadavi, said the drones would be put on public display, saying the two unmanned vehicles were "among the most modern U.S. Navy drones" and had a long-range capability.