In an emergency phone conversation on Thursday night with the Swiss Ambassador to Tehran Markus Leitner, Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said that there was “indisputable” evidence that a US drone had violated Iran’s airspace.
“Even some parts of the drone’s wreckage have been retrieved from Iran’s territorial waters,” Araghchi told the Swiss envoy.
This was not the first time the Americans were committing such an act, and that had happened a number of times before, Araghchi said, urging American forces to respect Iran’s aerial and maritime borders and fully abide by international regulations.
The Iranian diplomat reiterated that Iran does not seek a war and conflict in the Persian Gulf, warning the American forces against any unconsidered measure in the region.
“The Islamic Republic of Iran would not hesitate for a moment to decisively defend its territory against any aggression,” he added.
Leitner, in turn, said he would immediately convey Iran’s message to the US government.
The Swiss envoy was also asked to visit the Iranian Foreign Ministry on Friday morning to receive more details about the incident.
In a statement issued early on Thursday, IRGC said a US-made Global Hawk surveillance drone was brought down by its Air Force near the Kouh-e Mobarak region, which sits in the central district of Jask County, after the aircraft violated Iranian airspace.
Despite US claims that the drone had been flying over international waters, Iran says it has retrieved sections of drone in its own territorial waters where it was shot down. Foreign Minister Zarif said in a tweet hours after the incident that Iran would “take this new aggression to UN & show that the US is lying about international waters.”
Source: Iranian Agencies
