Iran Airs Alleged Drone Footage of US Naval Exercise
Iran flew a surveillance drone over a U.S. aircraft carrier carrying out naval drills, according to its semi-official FARS news agency, which posted footage of what it said was the drone's flight.
An Iranian naval commander called the surveillance "a sign of bravery," alleging it "allowed our men to go so close to the warship and shoot such a beautiful and accurate footage of the combat units of the foreign forces."
This comes after a series of incidents between Iran and the United States in the Persian Gulf, including test firing ballistic missiles in a direct breach of U.N. sanctions and briefly capturing American sailors who allegedly entered Iranian waters.
The video footage has not been verified, but a U.S. Navy spokesman said the drone "posed no danger" to the USS Harry S. Truman or the French aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle. Both vessels were sailing in international waters in the Persian Gulf.
"It was, however, abnormal and unprofessional," Cmdr. Kevin Stephens said.
He noted that the authenticity of the footage could not be verified "as there are countless examples of similar footage to be found on the Internet."
