Dubai, June 22: Iran has on Saturday said it would firmly retaliate to any United States threats against the nation, as per Tasnim news agency reports, in the midst of heightening tension between the two nations over the row of shooting down of an American spy drone by Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) in Hozmurgan province. Tehran has pledged to defend its borders.
Semi-official Tasnim quoted Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson Abbas Mousavi as saying, “Regardless of any decision they (U.S. officials) make… we will not allow any of Iran’s borders to be violated. Iran will firmly confront any aggression or threat by America.”
Iran says it will respond firmly to any U.S. threat: Tasnim https://t.co/356uTMvZ1Q pic.twitter.com/KQ5V6L871S
— Reuters (@Reuters) June 22, 2019
Iran has called the US’ unmanned plane “provocative”, as well as, “very dangerous” on Thursday as it tried to justify the downing of an American spy drone by IRGC, which the Pentagon has described as an “unprovoked attack” in the international airspace.
US President Donald Trump had initially said Tehran had “made a very big mistake”, but later he stated the downing of a US spy drone was not “intentional”, in a turnaround in the midst of rising fears of heightening frictions between the two nations could develop an open confrontation.
Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has on Thursday issued an emergency order prohibiting American operators from flying aircraft in an overwater region of Iran-controlled airspace over the Hormuz Strait and Gulf of Oman in the midst of heightened tensions in the Middle East after oil tankers attacks.
Washington prohibited American civilian flights flying over Iran-controlled airspace due to “heightened military activities and increased political tensions in the region”.
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