News / Politics

Iran will take US to UN over drone encroachment: Zarif

Thursday, 20 June 2019 4:56 PM [ Last Update: Thursday, 20 June 2019 6:08 PM ]

This file photo shows a United Nations Security Council meeting.

Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif says the country will take the case of US drone encroaching on its territory to the United Nations to prove Washington is lying about the aircraft having been shot down over international waters.

Zarif made the remarks in a tweet on Thursday, in reference to remarks made by the US military alleging that its spy drone has been shot down over the high seas.

Earlier on Thursday, the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) announced that its air defense force had shot down an intruding American spy drone in the country’s southern coastal province of Hormozgan.

In a statement issued, the IRGC said the 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.

PressTV-Iran’s IRGC shoots down intruding US spy drone

Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guards Corps shoots down an intruding American spy drone in the country’s southern coastal province of Hormozgan.

Hours after the incident, the US military confirmed that one of its drones had been shot, claiming that the incident took place in international airspace.

Navy Captain Bill Urban, a spokesman for the US military's Central Command, also alleged that it was "an unprovoked attack.”

'US DRONES SO FAR SEIZED, SHOT DOWN BY IRAN'

The following infographic shows unmanned aerial vehicles run by the US military, which have been so far seized or shot down by Iran's air defense forces.#USdroneShotDown #Drone #UnitedStates #HormuzStrait #Iran pic.twitter.com/FxVbQMgLOh
— Press TV (@PressTV) June 20, 2019

“We'll take this new aggression to #UN & show that the US is lying about international waters,” Zarif said in his tweet.

The US wages #EconomicTerrorism on Iran, has conducted covert action against us & now encroaches on our territory.

We don't seek war, but will zealously defend our skies, land & waters.

We'll take this new aggression to #UN & show that the US is lying about international waters
— Javad Zarif (@JZarif) June 20, 2019

The top Iranian diplomat added that the Islamic Republic does not seek war with any country, but Iranians “will zealously defend our skies, land & waters.”

He further noted that encroaching on Iran's territory was another aggressive step taken by the United States against Iran after it waged economic terrorism against Tehran and conducted covert action against it.

The Islamic Republic uses the term to refer to the United States’ re-enforcement of draconian sanctions against the Iranian nation. Washington restored the bans after leaving a multi-party nuclear agreement with Iran last May.

PressTV-B-team targeting Iranians with economic terror: Zarif

Iran's foreign minister says the B-Team is targeting the Iranian nation with economic terrorism and even war.

Tehran says Washington enlists the assistance of domestic and regional anti-Iran officials in the process of applying the measures against the country.