DUBAI, Nov 11 (Reuters) – Iran believes a U.S. drone
targeted by its forces this month was gathering intelligence on
oil tankers off its shores, an Iranian Revolutionary Guards
commander told the semi-official Mehr news agency on Sunday.
Washington said Iranian warplanes opened fire on an unarmed
U.S. drone over international waters on Nov. 1. Iran said it had
repelled an aircraft violating its airspace.
The incident underlined the risk of escalation in tensions
between the United States and Iran in an ongoing dispute over
Tehran’s nuclear programme.
“The drone was flying near Kharg Island and our
understanding is that … it was gathering economic information
and intelligence on Kharg Island and oil tankers (in the area),”
Amir Ali Hajizadeh, a brigadier general in the Islamic
Revolutionary Guard Corps, was quoted as saying by Mehr.
Facilities on Kharg Island handle most of Iran’s crude oil
exports.
“The Islamic Republic of Iran has some red lines that the
Americans should understand and respect. If this is repeated, we
will definitely react,” he added.
Washington, the EU and other bodies have imposed sanctions
on Iran’s oil trade to press it to halt nuclear research the
West fears is aimed as developing the capability to build a
nuclear bomb.
The United States and Israel have not ruled out military
action against Iran, if diplomacy fails to resolve the row.
Iran denies the charge saying its nuclear work is purely for
peaceful purposes.
(Reporting by Zahra Hosseinian; Editing by Andrew Heavens)
