Arian
ELITE MEMBER
- Oct 21, 2011
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US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton says Washington has submitted a formal request to Tehran to return a US spy drone which was recently captured by Iran's armed forces.
Clinton said a formal request had been submitted to Iran on the drone but Tehran's positions so far make it highly unlikely that the US government will get its drone back, UPI reported.
US Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said that although returning the RQ-170 spy drone to US would be appropriate for Iran, the country was unlikely to send it back.
"I don't expect that will happen, but I think it's important to make that request," Panetta told reporters traveling with him aboard a US military aircraft.
Breaking his long silence on Monday during a joint press conference with Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki in Washington, American President Barack Obama said the US had asked Tehran to return the RQ-170 spy drone which was captured by Iran's armed forces in the eastern part of the country last week.
The drone was flying over the northeastern Iran city of Kashmar, some 225 kilometers (140 miles) away from the Afghan border when downed.
Following the formal US plea for the return of the American spy drone, Iran's Defense Minister Brigadier General Ahmad Vahidi told reporters on Tuesday that the aircraft would remain in the country's possession as it is the property of the Islamic Republic.
Head of the Majlis (parliament) National Security and Foreign Policy Committee Alaeddin Boroujerdi also said on Tuesday that Iran would definitely not be returning the RQ-170 spy drone to the US, and stressed that Washington had to compensate Tehran.
Pointing to Obama's plea to Tehran to return the drone, the lawmaker added, [US President Barack] Obama is ignoring the fact that a spy drone has violated Iran's airspace and according to international law this is a violation [of the law].
The RQ-170 is an unmanned stealth aircraft designed and developed by the Lockheed Martin Company.
Tehran says that the US drone spy mission was a hostile act, and has lodged a complaint with the United Nations over the violation of its sovereignty by the reconnaissance aircraft.
PressTV - 'US formally requested drone back'
Clinton said a formal request had been submitted to Iran on the drone but Tehran's positions so far make it highly unlikely that the US government will get its drone back, UPI reported.
US Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said that although returning the RQ-170 spy drone to US would be appropriate for Iran, the country was unlikely to send it back.
"I don't expect that will happen, but I think it's important to make that request," Panetta told reporters traveling with him aboard a US military aircraft.
Breaking his long silence on Monday during a joint press conference with Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki in Washington, American President Barack Obama said the US had asked Tehran to return the RQ-170 spy drone which was captured by Iran's armed forces in the eastern part of the country last week.
The drone was flying over the northeastern Iran city of Kashmar, some 225 kilometers (140 miles) away from the Afghan border when downed.
Following the formal US plea for the return of the American spy drone, Iran's Defense Minister Brigadier General Ahmad Vahidi told reporters on Tuesday that the aircraft would remain in the country's possession as it is the property of the Islamic Republic.
Head of the Majlis (parliament) National Security and Foreign Policy Committee Alaeddin Boroujerdi also said on Tuesday that Iran would definitely not be returning the RQ-170 spy drone to the US, and stressed that Washington had to compensate Tehran.
Pointing to Obama's plea to Tehran to return the drone, the lawmaker added, [US President Barack] Obama is ignoring the fact that a spy drone has violated Iran's airspace and according to international law this is a violation [of the law].
The RQ-170 is an unmanned stealth aircraft designed and developed by the Lockheed Martin Company.
Tehran says that the US drone spy mission was a hostile act, and has lodged a complaint with the United Nations over the violation of its sovereignty by the reconnaissance aircraft.
PressTV - 'US formally requested drone back'
