Iran said it would deal decisively with any foreign encroachment into its airspace, an apparent warning to the United States after one of its surveillance drones was targeted by Iranian warplanes last week.
On Thursday U.S. officials said the unarmed Predator drone was in international airspace when Iranian warplanes opened fire on it on Nov. 1. The aircraft was not hit.
The intercept was the first time Tehran had fired at an unmanned U.S. aircraft in their 33 year stand-off.
“The defenders of the Islamic Republic will respond decisively to any form of encroachment by air, sea or on the ground,” Fars news agency quoted General Massoud Jazayeri, a senior armed forces commander, as saying on Friday.
“If any foreign aircraft attempts to enter our airspace our armed forces will deal with them,” he said. Jazayeri did not mention the drone incident specifically.
According to the Pentagon, two Soviet-designed SU-25 aircraft intercepted the Predator drone over Gulf waters about 16 nautical miles off the Iranian coast. After firing at the drone they followed it for several miles as it moved farther away from Iranian airspace.
Washington has issued a formal protest to the Iranian authorities via diplomatic channels.
Details of the incident emerged ahead of large-scale air defence drills due to start across several provinces in eastern Iran this week.
The “Velayat 4” manoeuvres will be jointly held by the regular armed forces and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and will involve testing new radar and surveillance equipment, military commanders say.
(Reuters)
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3 Responses
Iran can try to intimidate with Israel with words and they can get the Kenyan to look like a fool, but messing with the US Military that is already skittish is a mistake.
The US rules of engagement allow for US fighter pilots to defend US assets without further approval if fired upon. They must be fired upon for this standing order to take effect… Iran should consider this whereas the skirmish will be over before they can count on the Kenyan to recall the US war planes.
It’s our opinion that the US pilots will not chase the Iranian pilots back to Iranian territory, instead they will force them to engage to reach safety… which they will never reach.
The rules of engagement are different for unmanned aircraft, whose pilots are thousands of miles out of harms way.
As you pointed out they don’t have to worry about the drones, but they now have to worry about the escorts that will be close by… They come close again they will be fired upon. That is our opinion.