WASHINGTON, June 20 (Reuters) – The U.S. military confirmed on Thursday that one of its drones was shot down but said the incident took place in international airspace, challenging Iran’s account that the U.S. aircraft had been flying over Iranian territory.
“Iranian reports that the aircraft was over Iran are false,” said Navy Captain Bill Urban, a spokesman for the U.S. military’s Central Command.
“This was an unprovoked attack on a U.S. surveillance asset in international airspace.”
He said the shoot-down took place in international airspace over the Strait of Hormuz at approximately 11:35 p.m. GMT on June 19, 2019.
(Reporting by Phil Stewart and Doina Chiacu)
