Iran Summons Swiss envoy over US drone's intrusion into Iranian airspace
Iran has protested to the Swiss envoy in Tehran who represents the United States interests in Iran, over the violation of its airspace by a US drone which Iranian forces shot down.
During the meeting, the Foreign Ministry director general for Americas Mohsen Baharvand submitted an official written protest to the Swiss diplomat in which he voiced his protest to the intrusion of a US drone into Iranian airspace.
Markus Leitner as the ambassador of Switzerland represents Washington's interests in Iran in the absence of an official US embassy in the country.
Baharvand said Iran held Washington responsible for the outcomes of such provocative actions.
He offered the Swiss diplomat more details information on the US drone intrusion including the exact geographical location where it was hit by the Iranian forces within Iran's territory and said that parts of the drone have also been discovered in the Iranian territorial waters.
He said they have been handed over to the Iranian armed forces and could be demonstrated whenever needed.
The Iranian foreign ministry official further wanted the Ambassador to carry the message that Iran is not after conflicts with any countries including the US and its armed forces will bear no aggression and will deal strongly with any act of this kind.
Baharvand stressed that Iranian armed forces are currently exercising restraint as far as possible to retain peace and security in the sensitive regions of the Persian Gulf and the Oman Sea but will certainly vehemently answer to provocative and nonsensical actions which could be unpleasant consequences and harm interests of all sides.
Leitner, in turn, said he would immediately convey Iran's message to the US government.
At the early hours of Thursday, the Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) air force shot down an American spy drone, identified as RQ-4 Global Hawk, that had violated Iranian airspace in the Kuh Mubarak (Mubarak Mountain) region located at Hormuzgan province, south of the country, the IRGC’s public relations department said in a statement.
RQ-4 typically flies at a high altitude to conduct reconnaissance missions.
In an emergency phone conversation on Thursday night with the Swiss Ambassador to Tehran Markus Leitner, Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said that there was "indisputable" evidence that a US drone had violated Iran's airspace.
"Even some parts of the drone’s wreckage have been retrieved from Iran’s territorial waters," Araghchi told the Swiss envoy.
This was not the first time the Americans were committing such an act, and that had happened a number of times before, Araghchi said, urging American forces to respect Iran’s aerial and maritime borders and fully abide by international regulations.
The Iranian diplomat reiterated that Iran does not seek a war and conflict in the Persian Gulf, warning the American forces against any unconsidered measure in the region.
"The Islamic Republic of Iran would not hesitate for a moment to decisively defend its territory against any aggression," he added.
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