WorldIran says U.S. may have shot down its own drone by mistake

Iran denied Friday it lost a drone in the Strait of Hormuz after the United States said it had "destroyed" an Iranian drone that was threatening a U.S. ship.

"We have not lost any drone in the Strait of Hormuz nor anywhere else. I am worried that USS Boxer has shot down their own UAS (Unmanned Aerial System) by mistake!," Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Twitter.

Tensions With Iran Reach the Point of Inevitability

Even though both sides insist they don’t want war, the existing tensions, combined with Iran’s anger at being denied the benefits of the nuclear agreement, mean that one miscalculated provocation could lead to a larger conflagration. “We live in a very dangerous environment,” the Iranian foreign minister, Javad Zarif, said Thursday at the United Nations before news of the drone was made public. “The United States has pushed itself and the rest of the world into probably the brink of an abyss.

provocation, shot down what the U . S . military said was an unarmed and unmanned U . S . RQ-4A Global the Iranian shootdown of an American drone may have not been intentional, but a " mistake " by Iran continued to maintain that the American drone indeed violated its airspace and made no

On June 20, 2019, Iran ' s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps' s (IRGC) shot down a United States RQ-4A Global Hawk BAMS-D surveillance drone with a surface-to-air missile over the Strait of Hormuz.

Iran's semi-official Tasnim news agency quoted military spokesman Gen. Abolfazl Shekari as saying that "all Iranian drones that are in the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz, including the one which the U.S. president mentioned, after carrying out scheduled identification and control missions, have returned to their bases."

The Strait of Hormuz is a strategic waterway for the seaborne transportation of about a fifth of the world's global crude oil exports.

President Donald Trump said on Thursday that the drone was threatening a U.S. ship and was "immediately destroyed." He said the drone came within 1,000 yards and ignored "multiple calls to stand down."

"This is the latest of many provocative and hostile actions by Iran against vessels operating in international waters," the president said. "The United States reserves the right to defend our personnel, facilities, and interests."

Germany, France, UK, EU urge Iran to revert to upholding nuclear deal

The foreign ministers of Germany, France, Britain and the European Union said on Tuesday that they were concerned about Iran scaling up its uranium enrichment and urged Tehran to revert to upholding the 2015 nuclear deal. Iran has said it will boost its uranium enrichment in a few hours above a cap set by the nuclear deal, a move that could mean the return of all economic sanctions on Tehran. "We express deep concern that Iran is not meeting several of its commitments under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action," the ministers said, referring to the nuclear deal's formal name (JCPoA).

Tehran said the unarmed Global Hawk surveillance drone was on a spy mission over its territory but Washington said it was shot down over international airspace. "I think probably Iran made a mistake - I would imagine it was a general or somebody that made a mistake in shooting that drone down

But Iran denied losing any of its drones following the perplexing statement from Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif yesterday evening saying he was not be aware of any drone downing Instead, Iranian officals are now suggesting the US Navy actually shot down its own drone by mistake .

He called on other countries to condemn Iran's "attempts to disrupt freedom of navigation and global commerce."

"I also call on other nations to protect their ships as they go through the strait and to work with us in the future," Trump said.

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An MV-22 Osprey aircraft takes off on the deck of the USS Boxer (LHD-4) in the Arabian Sea off Oman, on July 17.

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Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif speaks as he attends a high-level political forum on sustainable development on July 17, at the UN Headquarters in New York.

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This undated photo provided by Iranian state television's English-language service, Press TV, shows the Panamanian-flagged oil tanker MT Riah surrounded by Iranian Revolutionary Guard vessels.

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An MV-22 Osprey aircraft lands on the deck of USS Abraham Lincoln the Gulf of Oman near the Strait of Hormuz, on July 15.

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F/A-18F aircraft are seen on the deck of USS Abraham Lincoln in the Gulf of Oman near the Strait of Hormuz, on July 15.

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Radar is seen on the monitoring tower of USS Boxer (LHD-4) in the Arabian Sea off Oman, on July 16.

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U.S. Representative Seth Moulton (D-MA) speaks in favor of inclusion of House Amendment #270 to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), aimed at preventing war with Iran, at the Capitol in Washington, DC, on July 10.

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Iranian President Hassan Rouhani meets with Emmanuel Bonne, French President Macron's top diplomatic adviser, in Tehran, Iran, on July 10.

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A warship belonging to the British Navy, allegedly sent to the Strait of Hormuz, is seen passing through the Bosphorus in Istanbul, Turkey, on July 12.

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A formation of Avenger-class mine countermeasure ships USS Devastator (MCM 6), USS Gladiator (MCM 11), USS Sentry (MCM 3), USS Dextrous (MCM 13), the Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer USS Mason (DDG 87) and an MH-53E Sea Dragon helicopter assigned to the “Blackhawks” of Helicopter Mine Countermeasures Squadron (HSM) 15 maneuver in the Arabian Sea, July 6.

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Supertanker Grace 1 off the coast of Gibraltar on July 6. Iran demanded on July 5 that Britain immediately release the tanker it had detained, accusing it of acting at the bidding of the United States. Authorities in Gibraltar, a British overseas territory on Spain's southern tip at the western entrance to the Mediterranean, said they suspected the tanker was carrying crude oil to Syria in violation of EU sanctions.

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Crew members walk down a ladder on board supertanker Grace 1 off the coast of Gibraltar on July 6.

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British soldiers are seen during an operation involving the oil supertanker Grace 1.

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Oil supertanker Grace 1 is seen in waters of the British overseas territory of Gibraltar, historically claimed by Spain, on July 4.

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(L to R) Iran's Atomic Energy Organization spokesman Behrouz Kamalvandi, government spokesman Ali Rabiei, and Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi give a joint press conference at the presidential headquarters in Tehran on July 7. Iran said it would begin enriching uranium beyond a 3.67 percent cap set by a landmark nuclear deal "in a few hours", the Islamic republic's atomic energy organisation spokesman Behrouz Kamalvandi said on July 7.

Trump admin weighs tightening restrictions on Iran's nuclear work

A key plank of the 2015 nuclear accord let Iran keep a limited civilian nuclear program. Scrapping it could trigger the final collapse of the JCPOA deal.

FAIR USE NOTICE: This video may contain copyrighted material. Such material is made available for educational purposes only. Tehran suggests US downed its own , and not Iranian , drone in Strait of Hormuz ‘ by mistake ’ Iran shoots down US drone as tensions escalate - Продолжительность: 9

Iranian forces have shot down a United States military drone . Follow here for the latest. “In light of the targeting of an unmanned US drone by Iran , it is essential that we remain fully engaged with our allies, recognize that we are not dealing with a responsible adversary and do everything in our power

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A British Royal Navy ship (L) patrols near supertanker Grace 1 suspected of carrying crude oil to Syria in violation of EU sanctions after it was detained off the coast of Gibraltar on July 4.  Iran demanded on July 5, that Britain immediately release the tanker, accusing it of acting at the bidding of the United States.

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Aircraft maneuver into position for an Independence Day air power demonstration on the flight deck of the USS Abraham Lincoln in the Arabian Sea on July 4. The USS Abraham Lincoln was rushed to the Mideast amid tensions between the U.S. and Iran as its 2015 nuclear deal with world powers unravels.

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Iran's Oil Minister Bijan Namdar Zanganeh answers journalists' questions on July 1 in Vienna, Austria.

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Acting U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Jonathan Cohen addresses the U.N. Security Council briefing on implementation of the resolution that endorsed the Iran nuclear deal at the United Nations headquarters in New York, June 26.

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Iran's Ambassador to the United Nations (UN) Majid Takht Ravanchi delivers a speech during the U.N. Security Council on implementation of the resolution that endorsed the Iran nuclear deal at the United Nations headquarters on June 26.

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U.S. Air Force aircraft taxi to take-off from Joint Base Langley-Eustis in Virginia on June 25.

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A U.S. Air Force (USAF) pilot from the 4th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron enters the cockpit of an F-35A Lightning II before Exercise Tri-Lightning, at Al Dhafra Air Base, United Arab Emirates, June 25.

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Iranian president Hassan Rouhani speaks during the cabinet meeting in Tehran, on June 26. Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman, Abbas Mousavi, said in a tweet that the newly announced sanctions meant that the channel of diplomacy has been closed forever.

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A handout photo made available by the supreme leader office shows Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei speaking during a meeting with Iranian judiciary officials in Tehran, on June 26. According to reports, Khamenei said his country will 'never retreat' in the face of US sanctions, two days after US President Donald Trump signed an executive order for additional sanctions against Iran and its leadership.

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An F/A-18E Super Hornet launches from the flight deck of the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier of USS Abraham Lincoln, in Arabian Sea, on June 22.

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Iranian President Hassan Rouhani speaks in a meeting with the Health Ministry officials, in Tehran, Iran on June 25. Iran on Tuesday sharply criticized new U.S. sanctions targeting the Islamic Republic's supreme leader and other top officials.

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President Donald Trump displays an executive order imposing fresh sanctions on Iran in the Oval Office of the White House, on June 24.

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A copy of Kayhan Iranian newspaper is seen in Tehran, Iran on June 25, 2019. Title reads "New sanctions from US against Iran".

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US National Security Advisor John Bolton (R) speaks next to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (L) and Nikolai Patrushev (C), Russian Secretary of the Security Council, during a press conference of the trilateral meeting of the US, Russian and Israeli national security advisers in Jerusalem, Israel on June 25. The meeting is a first-ever trilateral summit between the Russian, Israeli and American national security advisers with Nikolai Patrushev Russian Secretary of the Security Council, Meir Ben Shabbat, Israeli Security adviser and John Bolton, US National Security Advisor. the trilateral summit talks focuses on Iran, Syria and regional issues.

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An Iranian woman walks past a mural painting depicting the late founder of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini (R) and Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in Tehran, Iran on June 25.

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US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo (L) meets with Mohamed ben Zayed Al-Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, in Abu Dhabi, UAE on June 24. The United States, Britain, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have jointly called for "diplomatic solutions" to ease soaring tensions with Iran.

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Iran's ambassador to the United Nations Majid Takht-Ravanchi (L) addresses the media at the Security Council stakeout area before the start of the UN Security Council meeting on the situation in Iran at United Nations Headquarters in New York, on June 24.

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Iran's ambassador to the United Nations Majid Takht-Ravanchi holds up a picture as he addresses the media at the Security Council stakeout area before the start of the UN Security Council meeting on the situation in Iran at United Nations Headquarters in New York, on June 24.

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Seated under a portrait of the Saudi monarch, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo (L) meets with Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman at Al Salam Palace in the Red Sea port of Jeddah on June 24. - Pompeo arrived Monday in Saudi Arabia for talks on coordinating with the close ally amid mounting tensions with Iran.

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Iranian Judiciary chief Ebrahim Rais (C) attends a meeting with foreign ambassadors in Iran in the Islamic republic's capital Tehran on June 24. - Iran denied the same day it was hit by a US cyber attack as Washington was due to tighten sanctions on Tehran in a standoff sparked by the US withdrawal from a nuclear deal.

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U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo speaks to the media at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, U.S. June 23, before boarding a plane headed to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

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President Donald Trump walks off Marine One at the White House after spending the weekend at Camp David on June 23, in Washington, DC. President Donald Trump warned the United States may launch a devastating military attack on Iran unless it comes to the negotiating table and drops its bid to develop nuclear weapons.

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Protesters gather in front of the White House to speak out against a possible war with Iran on June 23, in Washington, DC. U.S. President Donald Trump said he almost launched a retaliatory strike after it was alleged that Iran shot down an unmanned U.S. drone last week, in a tweet he said he called off the attack after learning the number of potential casualties.

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The Organization of Iranian American Communities march to urge "recognition of the Iranian people's right for regime change," in front of the White House in Washington, DC, on June 21.

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President Donald Trump speaks during a meeting with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on June 20 in Washington. Trump declared that "Iran made a very big mistake" in shooting down a U.S. drone but suggested it was an accident rather than a strategic error.

U.S. will shoot down any Iranian drones that fly 'too close' to its ships, official says

The United States will destroy any Iranian drones that fly "too close" to its ships in the Strait of Hormuz and has evidence that it shot down a drone on Thursday, a senior Trump administration official said on Friday. require(["medianetNativeAdOnArticle"], function (medianetNativeAdOnArticle) { medianetNativeAdOnArticle.getMedianetNativeAds(true); }); Iran dismissed U.S. President Donald Trump's assertion that the U.S. Navy destroyed one of its drones. Iran said all of its unmanned planes were accounted for, amid growing international concern that both sides could blunder into a war in the Gulf.

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Supporters clash with a group of counter-protesters from Code Pink demonstrating against a rally outside of the U.S. State Department held in support of regime change in Iran on June 21 in Washington, DC.

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A series of tweets written by President Donald Trump regarding a retaliatory attack on Iran are displayed on a computer screen in New York, on June 21.

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General Amir Ali Hajizadeh, Iran's Head of the Revolutionary Guard's aerospace division, speaks to media next to debris from a downed US drone reportedly recovered within Iran's territorial waters and put on display by the Revolutionary Guard in the capital Tehran on June 21.

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Protesters hold signs spelling out, "No War," outside the White House, on June 20 in Washington, after President Trump tweeted that "Iran made a very big mistake" by shooting down a US surveillance drone over the Strait of Hormuz in Iran.

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This map provided by the Department of Defense shows the site where they say a U.S. Navy RQ-4 drone was shot down. The Department of Defense says the drone was flying over the Gulf of Oman and the Strait of Hormuz on a surveillance mission in international airspace in the vicinity of recent IRGC maritime attacks when it was shot down by an IRGC surface to air missile fired from a launch site in the vicinity of Goruk, Iran.

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A still image from surveillance video provided by the U.S. military shows what they say is a drone being shot down over the Strait of Hormuz on June 20.

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U.S. Air Force maintainers prepare a military drone RQ-4A Global Hawk for takeoff at an undisclosed location in Southwest Asia. Picture taken on Dec. 2, 2010.

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Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is seen near a "3 Khordad" system which was allegedly been used to shoot down a U.S. military drone, according to news agency Fars, in this undated handout picture.

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Flight deck of the U.S aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) is seen as sailors sweep the deck for foreign object and debris (FOD) on May 19, in Arabian Sea.

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Journalists take pictures of a magnet the U.S. Navy says came from a limpet mine that didn't explode on a Japanese-owned oil tanker at a 5th Fleet base, during a trip organized by the Navy for journalists, near Fujairah, United Arab Emirates, on June 19.

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A picture taken during a guided tour by the US Navy (NAVCENT) shows the Japanese oil tanker Kokuka Courageous off the port of the Gulf emirate of Fujairah on June 19.

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Iranian President Hassan Rouhani speaks in a ceremony at Imam Khomeini International Airport some 25 miles (40 kilometers) south of the capital Tehran, Iran, on June 18. President Rouhani says his country is not seeking to wage war against any nation while at the same time stressing that it will withstand mounting U.S. pressure and emerge victorious.

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This image released by the U.S. Department of Defense on June 17, and taken from a U.S. Navy helicopter, shows what the Navy says is the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy after removing an unexploded limpet mine from the M/T Kokuka Courageous.

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This image released by the U.S. Department of Defense on June 17, and taken from a U.S. Navy helicopter, shows what the Navy says are members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy removing an unexploded limpet mine from the M/T Kokuka Courageous.

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State Department spokesperson Morgan Ortagus speaks at a news conference at the State Department in Washington, on June 17.

Iran's president hints at quid pro quo for seized UK ship

President Hassan Rouhani suggested on Wednesday that Iran might release a U.K.-flagged ship if Britain takes similar steps to release an Iranian oil tanker seized by the British Royal Navy off Gibraltar earlier this month. 

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This satellite image provided by Maxar Technologies shows the oil tanker Kokuka Courageous off the coast of Fujairah, United Arab Emirates, on June 17.

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Crew members of the Kokuka Courageous oil tanker receive medical attention from military personnel aboard missile destroyer USS Bainbridge, at sea, June 13.

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U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo speaks from the State Department briefing room on June 13, in Washington, DC. Pompeo said, "It is the assessment of the U.S. government that Iran is responsible for today's attacks in the Gulf of Oman. These attacks are a threat to international peace and security, a blatant assault on the freedom of navigation, and an unacceptable escalation of tension by Iran."

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This picture, obtained by AFP from Iranian News Agency ISNA on June 13, reportedly shows fire and smoke billowing from a tanker said to have been attacked in the waters of the Gulf of Oman.

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Iranian President Hassan Rouhani (L) shakes hands with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, during a welcoming ceremony at the Saadabad Palace in the capital Tehran on June 12. Abe arrived in Tehran on June 12 for a rare diplomatic mission, hoping to defuse tensions between the Islamic republic and Tokyo's ally Washington.

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Secretary of State Mike Pompeo speaks during a media briefing at the State Department June 10, in Washington, D.C. Secretary Pompeo discussed topics including the latest development on tension with Iran.

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This undated photograph from the United Arab Emirates' Mission to the United Nations released Thursday, June 6, shows a diver investigating the damage done to the Saudi-owned oil tanker Al Marzoqah off the coast of Fujairah, United Arab Emirates. A joint statement released Thursday by Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Norway said the damage done to the four oil tankers off the UAE likely came from limpet mines placed by a "state actor" amid U.S. and Saudi allegations Iran carried out the sabotage. Iran has denied being involved amid heightened tensions between Tehran and Washington.

63/67 SLIDES © Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Brian M. Wilbur/U.S. Navy/AP Photo

The USS Abraham Lincoln carrier and a U.S. Air Force B-52H Stratofortress, conduct joint exercises in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility in Arabian sea on June 1.

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Saudi King Salman chairs the Islamic Summit of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) on June 1, in Mecca, Saudi Arabia. May 31 and June 1 Salman hosts three high-level summits in Mecca, drawing heads of state from across the Middle East and Muslim countries to present a unified Muslim and Arab position on Iran. The monarch called on the international community to use all means to confront Iran and accuses the Shiite power of being behind "terrorist operations" that targeted Saudi oil interests.

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Secretary of Defense Patrick Shanahan and Secretary of state Mike Pompeo and Chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff Joseph Dunford (not in picture) give a statement after a closed-door briefing on Iran at the Capitol on May 21 in Washington, DC.

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President Trump talks to journalists as he departs the White House for a campaign rally in Pennsylvania  on May 20 in Washington, DC. On his way to Montoursville, Pennsylvania, Trump said that Iran does not currently pose a direct threat to the United States.

Fact check: Trump wrong on all 3 claims in tweet on Iran deal

President Donald Trump's Wednesday tweet on the Iran nuclear deal contained three inaccurate claims. require(["medianetNativeAdOnArticle"], function (medianetNativeAdOnArticle) { medianetNativeAdOnArticle.getMedianetNativeAds(true); }); "Iran has long been secretly 'enriching,' in total violation of the terrible 150 Billion Dollar deal made by John Kerry and the Obama Administration," Trump tweeted. "Remember, that deal was to expire in a short number of years." Facts First: All three parts of this tweet are wrong.

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An F/A-18E Super Hornet is launched from the flight deck of the U.S. Navy aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln on May 16 in the Arabian Sea.

Pentagon spokesman Jonathan Hoffman said the USS Boxer, an amphibious assault ship, was in international waters in the Strait at roughly 10 a.m. local time when a drone approached and "closed within a threatening range."

"The ship took defensive action against the (drone) to ensure the safety of the ship and its crew," he said.

The apparent downing of the drone followed Iran's apparent seizure of an oil tanker, the nation's state media announced Thursday. Twelve crew members were on the Panamanian-flagged vessel when it was taken near the Strait of Hormuz. The Iran Revolutionary Guards Corps, a powerful organization with links to the military and business, said the tanker tried to smuggle a million liters of oil.

Tensions have escalated since the United States pulled out of a 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and world powers and reimposed sweeping economic sanctions.

Iran shot down a U.S. drone in June, claiming it had violated Iranian airspace, an assertion U.S. officials said was false. The president pulled back on a planned retaliatory strike against Iranian targets at the last minute. U.S. officials at the time cautioned the move should not be interpreted as weakness.

"Neither Iran nor any other hostile actor should mistake U.S. prudence and discretion for weakness," National Security Adviser John Bolton said during a trip to Jerusalem. "No one has granted them a hunting license in the Middle East. As President Trump said Friday, our military is rebuilt, new and ready to go."

© Provided by USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Satellite Information Network, Inc. The amphibious assault ship USS Boxer is seen in San Diego Bay in San Diego, Calif., on May 1, 2019. (Photo: AP) On Tuesday, Trump's nominee to be the next defense secretary, Army Secretary Mark Esper, told lawmakers the United States is pursuing a strategy of "passive patrolling" in the area with coalition partners as part of an initiative dubbed "Operation Sentinel."

He said the goal was to try to and deter further provocative actions by Iran.

"At the same time, from the highest levels of government from the president himself, we said we will meet anytime, anywhere, without precondition to discuss issues with the Iranians to get us on the diplomatic path," he said.

Iran’s Foreign Minster Mohammad Javad Zarif told reporters in New York on Thursday that Iran would offer a deal to the U.S. in which it would offer it enhanced inspections of its nuclear facilities in return for the permanent lifting of economic sanctions.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Iran says U.S. may have shot down its own drone by mistake