Iran has reportedly shot down a US “spy” drone that entered its airspace amid heightened tensions between the countries.
The RQ-4 Global Hawk surveillance aircraft was downed near the southern Kouhmobarak district of the Middle Eastern country, Iran’s state-run IRNA news agency said.
Iran's elite Revolutionary Guard said it shot down the drone on Thursday morning.
It comes amid heightened tensions between Iran and the US. Earlier this week, the US announced plans to deploy more than 1,000 more troops to the Middle East after blaming Iran for attacks on two oil tankers in the Gulf of Oman.
"[The drone] was shot down when it entered Iran's airspace near the Kouhmobarak district in the south," the Guards' website Sepah News said.
Navy Captain Bill Urban, a spokesman for the US military's Central Command, said earlier that "No US aircraft were operating in Iranian airspace today."
Urban declined further comment.
Concerns about a military confrontation between Iran and the US have mounted since attacks on two oil tankers last week and four tankers off the United Arab Emirates on May 12, both near the Strait of Hormuz, a major conduit for global oil supplies.
The US and its regional ally Saudi Arabia have blamed Iran for the incidents. Iran has denied responsibility.
To counter Iran's threats, the US military has sent forces, including aircraft carriers, B-52 bombers and troops to the Middle East. However, US President Donald Trump said he does not seek war with Iran.
