Iran’s Revolutionary Guard said on Thursday that it shot down a U.S. military drone, heightening already strained tensions between Washington and Tehran.
The Guard said it shot down the drone over Hormozgan Province in southern Iran, Tehran's state news agency, IRNA, reported.
Two U.S. officials, however, told The Associated Press that the incident happened in international airspace over the Strait of Hormuz.
IRNA in its report identified the drone as an RQ-4 Global Hawk.
Major-General Hossein Salami, who commands the Guard, said that the incident sent a “clear message” that Iranian forces "are ready to give decisive response to any aggression," according to the news agency.
He reportedly said that Iran’s "enemies" have "no choice" but to respect the nation’s territorial integrity and interests.
He added that while Iran is not seeking war with any country, its armed forces are ready to defend the country against "aggression."
--This developing report was updated at 6:37 a.m.