US warship shoots down Iranian drone buzzing it in the Strait of Hormuz amid escalating tensions
A US warship has shot down an Iranian drone buzzing it in the Strait of Hormuz amid escalating tensions between the two countries. President Donald Trump said the USS Boxer took defensive action after the drone came within 1,000 yards of the warship and ignored multiple calls to stand down. The US Navy USS Boxer […]
A US warship has shot down an Iranian drone buzzing it in the Strait of Hormuz amid escalating tensions between the two countries.
President Donald Trump said the USS Boxer took defensive action after the drone came within 1,000 yards of the warship and ignored multiple calls to stand down.
The US Navy USS Boxer has issued multiple warning to retreat prior to shooting the drone down.
Trump said the drone threatened the safety of the American ship and its crew, and called on other countries to condemn Iran and protect their own ships.
Trump says it’s the latest “hostile” action by Iran.
He’s calling on other countries to condemn what he says are Iran’s attempts to disrupt the freedom of navigation and global commerce in the strategic waterway in the Persian Gulf region.
The president says the drone threatened the safety of the American ship and its crew.
US DRONE SHOT DOWN
Last month, Iran shot down a US drone that it said was flying over Iranian waters.
Trump called off a planned retaliatory airstrike at the last minute.
Iran has previously produced maps it claims prove the US drone it shot down last month crossed into its airspace – but the US has branded them as “false”.
Majid Takht Ravanchi, Iran’s UN ambassador, revealed radar images that allegedly show an aircraft passing into Iranian territory amid feverish tensions.
But acting US ambassador to the UN Jonathan Cohen rubbished the claims.
He blasted Iran’s argument that the US drone was in its “flight information region” was “false” – because “a country’s flight information region is not the same as their airspace.”
Last month, Iran shot down the £100million US RQ-4 Global Hawk spy drone on Thursday – nearly prompting a potentially deadly series of US airstrikes in retaliation.
US president Donald Trump called off the ferocious bombardment – which the Pentagon estimated could have killed 150 – at the last minute.
MOST READ IN NEWS
The US vehemently denies its unnamed aircraft crossed into Iranian airspace – and blames the Islamic Republic for launching a series of attacks on Western interests.
Two oil tankers were blown up by mines seemingly planted by Iran’s elite Revolutionary Guard as they passed through the Strait of Hormuz in June.
Iran accuses the US of aiming to cripple Iran’s economy and forcing policy changes – and denies any involvement in the tanker attacks.
More to come…
For the latest news on this story keep checking back at Sun Online, where we will bring you live updates as soon as they happen, before anyone else.
Like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/thesun, and follow us from our main Twitter account at @TheSun, where we will bring you this story and all the rest of the top news and exclusives of the day.
TheSun.co.uk is your go to destination for the best celebrity news, football news, real-life stories, jaw-dropping pictures and must-see video