Iran protests to UN over violation by US drone

Πηγή: M&C
By DPA
Dec 9 2011

Tehran - Iran protested Friday to the United Nations over what it called the violation of its airspace by a US spying drone, state television network IRIB reported.

Iran's UN Ambassador in New York, Mohammad Khazaei, sent a letter to the UN Security Council and General Assembly, urging them to condemn 'these dangerous and illegal acts' and prevent further such violations.

The NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) said in a statement that the drone may have been an unarmed US reconnaissance aircraft that got lost during a mission over western Afghanistan.

However, Iran insisted that the RQ-170 drone was on a spying mission in Iran and was brought down by the cyber division of the revolutionary guards - rather than simply being found - near the city of Kashmar, some 200 kilometres from the Afghan border.

Khazaei said Iran reserved the right to confront 'such hostile and aggressive acts' and adopt all necessary measures to protect its territorial sovereignty.

Iran on Thursday also summoned the Swiss ambassador to Tehran, Livia Leu Agosti, whose country represents US interests in Iran, to inform her of Iran's protest at 'the US undercover provocations which were against international norms.'

For the first time, state television on Thursday showed footage of the drone, while a revolutionary guards commander said it was 'brought down' with minimum damage.

General Amir-Ali Hajizadeh, head of the guards' aerospace division, further told state TV that Iranian experts were well aware of 'the precious information' which could be gained from the captured drone.