US Navy aircraft warned off close to Gulf of Oman: Iran

TEHRAN: The Iranian navy said it identified and warned off a US reconnaissance plane near the Gulf of Oman on Sunday, the semi-official Tasnim news agency reported.

“After the warning, the plane was prevented from entering the country’s skies without authorisation,” said the report, identifying the plane as a US Navy EP-3E. While the opening line of the Tasnim report said the aircraft had crossed into Iranian airspace, the same report also said the aircraft had not entered Iranian skies and had left after the warning.

The US Defence Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Iran has had similar confrontations with US forces in the past. In 2019, Iran shot down a US drone that it said was flying over southern Iran.

On Dec 31, 2022, Iran said its military had launched a drone to warn off a reconnaissance plane trying to approach Iranian war games on the Gulf coast, without identifying the aircraft. The United States has long deployed weaponry and troops in the oil-producing Gulf to provide security to its allies.

Long-strained relations between Iran and the US have deteriorated further in the last year, as talks to revive the 2015 nuclear deal hit deadlock and after Teheran unleashed a deadly crackdown on protesters.