The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) released footage on Friday made by an Iranian drone flying over the Strait of Hormuz, refuting previous claims made by the US Navy that the United States downed the unmanned vehicle.
The commander of the IRGC Aerospace Force, Brigadier General Amir Ali Hajizadeh, again refuted US claims on Sunday, according to the Mehr News Agency.
“That was quite a big lie. We could not believe that the president of a country talked about the issue while directly talking to journalists. That's why we checked the issue several times with our different units, and denials (from Tehran) were delayed for several hours”, Hajizadeh said, cited by Mehr.
The commander of the IRGC Aerospace Force on Sunday also stressed that IRGC vehicles constantly monitor US Navy movements in the region, adding that Americans know their president's claim is a big lie.
The footage, broadcast earlier over the Press TV news outlet, shows the drone flying about the region and recording image files of the US Navy's USS Boxer, escorted by five other ships, entering the strait.
On Thursday, the Pentagon said an alleged Iranian drone came within “threatening range” of a US warship in the Strait of Hormuz before being shot down by US forces in a defensive action.
Later, Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi suggested that the USS Boxer may have shot down its own unmanned aerial vehicle.
The situation in the Persian Gulf area has recently deteriorated as several…
