The Pentagon said Iranian air force planes attempted to shoot down an American unmanned aerial vehicle conducting reconnaissance activities in international airspace over the Persian Gulf. reports this ITAR-TASS .

According to US Department of Defense spokesman George Little, the incident occurred on November 1. were immediately informed about the incident . President Barack Obama , Defense Secretary Leon Panetta and the leaders of the US Congress

Little clarified that the drone was not damaged and returned safely to base.

According to the Pentagon, the MQ Predator drone was fired upon by two Russian-made Su-25 fighter jets in service with the Iranian Air Force. They opened fire from air cannons when the aircraft was about 25 km from the Iranian coast.

“Our aircraft did not enter Iranian airspace. He was constantly in international airspace,” Little said, emphasizing that the border of national airspace over the sea runs about 20 km from the coast.

The US Department of Defense believes that the purpose of the attack was to shoot down the drone.

The department also said that the MQ Predator was not equipped with any weapons, including missiles. Little said the aircraft was conducting “routine surveillance” of the situation in the Persian Gulf, that is, it was carrying out a reconnaissance mission.

This is the first time Iranian warplanes have fired at an unarmed American drone.

A Pentagon spokesman said Washington notified Tehran of its intention to continue surveillance flights of its drones “over the international waters of the Persian Gulf.” He added that this would be done “consistent with long-standing U.S. practices and commitments to security in the region.”

In addition, Little also emphasized that, if necessary, the US military will respond to such provocations. According to him, the United States “has extensive capabilities to protect its military forces and assets” and is ready to use them if necessary.

Pentagon: Iranian Air Force tried to shoot down an American drone - Gazeta.Ru