Iranian jets fire on U.S. drone
Barbara Starr
CNN
11/8/2012
Two Iranian Su-25 fighter jets fired on an unarmed U.S. Air Force Predator drone in the Persian Gulf last week, CNN has learned.
The incident raises fresh concerns within the Obama administration about Iranian military aggression in crucial Gulf oil shipping lanes.
The drone was in international airspace east of Kuwait, U.S. officials said, adding it was engaged in routine maritime surveillance.
Although the drone was not hit, the Pentagon is concerned.
Two U.S. officials explained the jets were part of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps force, which has been more confrontational than regular Iranian military forces.
The Obama administration did not disclose the incident, which occurred just days before the presidential election on November 1, but three senior officials confirmed the details to CNN…
The article continues at CNN.
H/T Weasel Zippers
Here is video from CNN in which reporter Barbara Starr is interviewed.
…The thing is, you know, they fired–the U.S. believes, we’re told–in an unprovoked fashion. They say that the drone was in international air space about 16 miles off the Iranian coast in the northern end of the Gulf, and that it was completely unprovoked and without warning…
Twitchy has more: “Another 3:00 a.m. phone call. And Obama was again too busy campaigning and canoodling.”
At Fox News
…Spokesman George Little said the incident, which marks the first time the Iranians have fired on a U.S. drone, occurred Nov. 1 at 4:50 a.m. ET. He said the unarmed, unmanned drone was conducting “routine surveillance” over the Persian Gulf when it was “intercepted” by Iran. He said the MQ1 Predator drone, which was not hit, was not in Iranian airspace…
