Iran releases photos of downed Israeli UAV
After claiming to intercept Hermes-model unmanned aircraft, Iranian defense minister says Israel attempted to spy on Natanz nuclear facility.
Iran state TV network Al-Alam released the first footage on Monday of an Israeli UAV allegedly shot down by the Islamic republic's Revolutionary Guard.
The footage shows the fragments of the UAV, which the Iranians claim attempted to penetrate the airspace above the nuclear facility in Natanz but was intercepted before reaching its destination.
A senior officer in the Iranian corps, Brig. Gen. Amir Ali Haji Zada, claimed the unmanned plane was a Hermes-model made in Israel. According to Iranian reports, the Israeli vehicle was downed on Saturday.
Alleged Israeli UAV on Iranian TV
Iran claimed Hermes-model UAV intercepted on way to Natanz nuclear facility
Israel does possess unmanned aerial vehicles capable of multi-day deployment with a significant range of flight. According to foreign reports, Israeli UAVs have been spotted in Sudan.
Iranian Defense Minister Hossein Dehghan said Sunday night in an interview with Iranian TV that Iran would respond to any aggression. "We will respond to the aggressors decisively. This is a serious signal that Iran will implement what it says."
According to the Iranian defense minister, Israel and the US want to demonstrate that they are present in the airspace of every country at all times, which he designated as a matter of espionage.
He added that the Iranians were examining the pieces of the UAV to access the information of the aerial craft's onboard computers.
