FM: Tehran to Take Legal Action against US for Violation of Iran’s Airspace
(FNA)- Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi lashed out at the US for continued violation of Iran's airspace, and underscored that Tehran will protest against US illegal moves through legal channels.
Yesterday, Commander of the IRGC Navy Rear Admiral Ali Fadavi announced that his forces had hunted a US ScanEagle Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) over the Persian Gulf after the drone violated the country's airspace.
The UAV which had conducted several reconnaissance flights over the Persian Gulf general zone in the past few days was caught and brought under control by the air defense units and control systems of the IRGC Navy.
Speaking on Tuesday, Salehi said Iran will take legal action against the United States at the international courts for violating the country's airspace.
"We had formally protested such actions by the US and had announced that we would defend our borders by any means possible," Salehi said.
He stated that Iran will use the hunted drone as evidence against the US at international courts, and stated, "Of course, we had objected to the Americans before, but they claimed they were not present in our territories. We will use this drone as evidence to pursue a legal case against the US invasion at relevant international bodies."
Last month, Iran officially complained to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and the UN Security Council over the repeated violations of its airspace by the US drones and the illegal acts of the US Navy warships in the Persian Gulf and the Sea of Oman.
The two letters were officially submitted by Iran's Permanent Representative to the United Nations Mohammad Khazayee late in November.
Iran said the US Navy has carried out "illegal and provocative acts."
The letters urged the UN chief to warn the US against the continuation of acts in violation of international law and of the adverse consequences of any provocative and dangerous acts for which the United States government would be held responsible.