Tehran keeps the right to respond to Washington for intercepting an Iranian passenger plane by a pair of military jets in Syria's airspace during its regular flight, Ebrahim Rahimpour, the former deputy foreign minister of Iran, told Sputnik
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 14th August, 2020) Tehran keeps the right to respond to Washington for intercepting an Iranian passenger plane by a pair of military jets in Syria's airspace during its regular flight, Ebrahim Rahimpour, the former deputy foreign minister of Iran, told Sputnik.
On July 23, a Mahan Air plane en route from Tehran to Beirut was reportedly intercepted by two US F-15 fighter jets when crossing Syria's airspace. According to Iran, US jets intercepted the passenger plane twice � over the Syrian region of Al Tanf, where the US bases are located, and above the Syrian-Lebanese border. The Iranian media reported that the interception prompted the pilot to change altitude to avoid a collision, and some passengers were injured during the incident. The US Central Command has claimed that only one jet approached the passenger plane at a safe distance to perform a routine inspection to ensure the security of airspace above the US bases.
"This case shows that they [the US] do not comply with the ICAO [the International Civil Aviation Organization] rules, and Tehran clearly reserves for itself the right to react in a timely manner to the US' move," Rahimpour said.
The former diplomat, who also served as an Iranian ambassador to several countries, added that Washington often resorts to hostilities in places where "they do not have much of a say," including in Syria.
Iran has lodged a complaint to the ICAO over the incident, while the US has said that the interception was conducted in accordance with international standards.
