US Command Refutes Iran's Claims on Downing US Surveillance Drone in Country's Airspace

MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 20th June, 2019) The US Central Command (CENTCOM) refuted on Thursday Iran's claims on shooting down a US drone in the Iranian airspace and said that there had been no US unmanned aircraft in the Iranian skies.

Earlier in the day, the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) claimed it had downed a US Northrop Grumman RQ-4 Global Hawk surveillance drone in the coastal Hormozgan province, facing the Persian Gulf.

"No US drone was operating in Iranian airspace today," Capt. Bill Urban, a CENTCOM spokesman, said as cited by the NBC broadcaster.

Over the past several weeks, tensions in the Persian Gulf have been progressively escalating amid the US-Iranian strife. After two oil tankers were attacked in the Gulf of Oman last week, the United States put the blame on Iran and boosted its military presence in the region. Iran has denied the allegations, saying that no proof of its involvement in the incident has been given.

This added to the Pentagon's already increased military buildup over the previous month.

The United States categorizes the IRGC as a terrorist organization, while Iran does the same toward the CENTCOM.

In one of its recent claims voiced last week, Washington said the IRGC allegedly attempted to down one of its drones prior to attacking the vessels in the Gulf of Oman but failed to reach its target.

The hostility between the two countries began brewing in May after US President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew his country from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, often referred to as the Iran nuclear deal, and imposed several rounds of sanctions against Tehran in 2018. A year later, Iran responded by partially suspending its obligations under the agreement.