US Asks Iran to Return the Surveillance Drone

General Hossein Salami

US officials asked Iran to return a downed surveillance drone. President Barack Obama made the request during a press conference in Washington about the end of US occupation in Iraq.

“We have asked for it back. We’ll see how the Iranians respond,” said Obama stated on Monday during a meeting the Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki after the two met at the White House. However, General Hossein Salami, deputy head of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps added that the drone would not be returned since it was collecting “vital” intelligence about Iran for the US.

The Iranian Foreign Ministry Ali Akbar Salehi added that the incident suggested that Washington has renewed their “covert actions.” Now Iran’s ambassador in the UN, Mohammad Khazaee stated that ‘this is an act of hostility, with violations an acts of aggression from the US government.’ However, he did not elaborate. (AV)