Iran fighter jets fire on U.S. drone over Gulf but misses

Washington, DC, United States (4E) – The Pentagon on Thursday accused Iran of trying to shoot down an unarmed U.S. drone over international waters in the Arabian Gulf.

Pentagon spokesman George Little said two Su-25 fighter jets tried to intercept the MQ-1 drone, commonly called Predator, and fired on it around 4:50 a.m. EST while 16 nautical miles off the Iranian coast.

The distance is considered beyond Iran’s territorial waters, which is up to 12 nautical miles from its coast.

The drone was not hit and was able to return safely to an unspecified base.

Little said the U.S. military will continue using drone to survey the gulf as part of its mission to maintain security in the area. He warned that the U.S. military will protect its military assets against attacks.

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