In a major incitement, Iran shot down a defenceless as well as unmanned U.S. Navy MQ-4C Triton drone. The incident took place on Thursday when it was flying in international airspace over the Strait of Hormuz, as per to ABC News reports.
Mentioning the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, IRNA recognized the drone as an RQ-4 Global Hawk, which is a high-altitude, long-endurance unmanned aircraft that is specially designed in order to provide intelligence, surveillance as well as reconnaissance.
This happening is guaranteed to activate serious discussions within the Trump administration about how to answer back to such a direct attack on a U.S. military asset that goes further than the current attacks in the Middle East that the U.S. has accused on Iran.
Sarah Sanders, who is the White House spokeswoman, said that President Donald Trump had been “briefed on the reports of a missile strike in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia”.
She then further added, “We are closely monitoring the situation and continuing to consult with or partners and allies.”
Previously, the Iranian state media had also cited Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as quoting it had put down a Global Hawk drone when it move in to the Iranian airspace near the Kouhmobarak district north of the Strait of Hormuz.
The attack comes a day after Washington declared that it was directing an additional 1,000 troops to the Middle East in reply to what it defined as “hostile behaviour” by Iranian forces.
In the middle of these two countries the tensions have been increased since Mr Trump drew America from the 2015 international nuclear deal last year and then also reimposed the sanctions on Iran.
Iran says it’s ‘completely ready for war’ after US official confirms it shot down American drone
Iran also made an effort to shoot down an MQ-9 Reaper last Thursday that was surveilling the attack on one of two tankers in the Gulf of Oman.
The United States has then put the blame on Iran for being in control for the attacks on the two tankers after which the claim was then denied by Iran later on.
CENTCOM spokesperson Lt. Col. Earl Brown in one of his recent statement on Saturday to ABC News stated, “According to our assessment, a modified Iranian SA-7 surface-to-air missile attempted to shoot down a U.S. MQ-9, at 6:45 a.m. local time, June 13, over the Gulf of Oman, to disrupt surveillance of the IRGC attack on the M/T Kokuka Courageous.”
The MQ-4C Triton is basically an unarmed surveillance aircraft which is powered by a jet engine, and it is capable of functioning at altitudes as high as 60,000 feet.
Brown further added, “Subsequent analysis indicates that this was a likely attempt to shoot down or otherwise disrupt the MQ-9 surveillance of the IRGC attack on the M/T Kokuka Courageous.”
