Iran says it warns off US surveillance aircraft trying to observe naval exercise in Gulf
By APTuesday, May 11, 2010
Iranian navy warns off US surveillance aircraft
TEHRAN, Iran — A semiofficial Iranian news agency says the country’s naval forces have warned off a U.S. surveillance aircraft trying to get a closer look at military maneuvers in the Persian Gulf.
The Fars news agency quotes army chief Gen. Ataollah Salehi as saying the aircraft was trying to observe the naval war games Monday but left the area after a warning from Iranian forces. The report gave no details.
In a similar encounter, an Iranian surveillance jet recently flew over a U.S. Navy aircraft carrier in the Gulf.
Without confirming Monday’s incident, a U.S. Navy spokesman says it is not uncommon for American military forces to have radio contact and other routine exchanges with other nations in the Gulf, including Iran.
