(MENAFN- Daily Outlook Afghanistan) TEHRAN - Iran hasdenied President Donald Trump's claim that a US Navy ship had 'destroyed anIranian drone.
Mr Trump said on Thursdaythat the drone had flown to within 1,000 yards of the USS Boxer and had ignored'multiple calls to stand down in the latest episode to stir tensions in theGulf.
It was the firstUS military engagement with Iran following a series of increasingly seriousincidents.
'We have not lostany drone in the Strait of Hormuz nor anywhere else. I am worried that USSBoxer has shot down their own UAS [Unmanned Aerial System] by mistake!, AbbasAraqchi, Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister, responded in a tweet this morning.
Brigadier GeneralAbolfazl Shekarchi, an Iranian armed forces spokesman, added: 'Despite Trump'sbaseless and delusional claims, all of (Iran's) drones... have safely returnedto their bases.
'There have beenno reports of a confrontation with the American USS Boxer naval vessel, headded, quoted by Tasnim news agency.
Mr Trump announced that the USS Boxer, an amphibious assault ship, 'took defensiveaction against the Iranian drone as it was 'threatening the safety of the shipand the ship's crew.
'The United Statesreserves the right to defend our personnel, our facilities and interests andcalls upon all nations to condemn Iran's attempts to disrupt freedom ofnavigation and global commerce, he said.
A first-hand accountfrom a journalist aboard the Boxer suggested that Iran had been harassing thenavy ship before the drone was shot down.
A Wall Street Journalreporter said that an unarmed Iranian navy Bell 212 helicopter flew alongsidethem, yards away from the deck, before it was chased away by a US helicopter.
The convoy of six USwarships passed numerous Iranian speedboats without incident, but was thentailed by a larger Iranian warship which closed to within 500 yards of theBoxer.
An Iranian Y-12surveillance drone then came even closer and was then brought down byelectronic warfare jamming.
The apparent confrontation cameas Iran defended its detention Sunday of a 'foreign tanker believed to be thePanamanian-flagged vessel Riah and its 12 crew for allegedly smuggling fuel.(The Telegraph)
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