Iranian jets fire on U.S. drone in gulf: pentagon

Nov 10, 2012 |

The Pentagon revealed on Thursday that two Iranian fighter jets fired on an unarmed US Predator drone in the Gulf last week but the aircraft was not hit, in an incident that underscored tensions in the region.

The incident occurred on November 1 — less than a week before America’s presidential election — but the Pentagon kept it quiet until reports of the confrontation leaked out.
“They intercepted the aircraft and fired multiple rounds,” spokesman George Little told a news conference.
The Su-25 Frogfoot fighters, much faster than the slow-moving drone, fired at least twice and made two passes, he said. It was unclear whether the Iranians intended to warn off the unmanned drone but Little said: “Our working assumption is that they fired to take it down.”
The confrontation threatened to derail diplomatic efforts to defuse a mounting crisis over Tehran’s nuclear program.

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