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. http://security.blogs.cnn.com/2012/11/08/first-on-cnn-iranian-jets-fire-on-u-s-drone/?hpt=hp_t3
I've had a quick look around for Iranian comment on the matter, but can't find too much. What are they saying about where the drone was? Do they claim in was in their space? And how do we find out if it was actually brought down or not?
The Iranians won't say much as they won't want to lose face by admitting they fired at a drone and missed. By the same token America wouldn't want to admit it if it had been brought down. In the absence of any excited crowing by the Iranians I would think they did in fact miss.
It seems that they only fired cannons at it. From what I gather, that's not an easy task. No easy stuff like guided missiles or anything. The Iranians are showing what they say is the drone. The USA is claiming it's a crude imitation. We still know nothing.
We will probably never know the truth - especially as to the location of the drone when the Iranians opened fire.
Sounds like the last time Iran grounded a drone. Washington first denies then they say it crash landed and that claims the Iranians hijacked the controls are false. They say it will be nothing but unanalysable fragments then only to look like fools when the Iranians actually show the thing in mint condition. It's all to do with continually building the pretext of conflict against those aggressive big bad Iranians
