Baku, Azerbaijan, Aug. 26
By Umid Niayesh - Trend:
A senior Iranian military official says that "Iran's response to the recent spying effort made by an Israeli drone will not be diplomatic."
Brigadier-General Hossein Salami, deputy commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC), said that "Iran will respond the Israel's UAV assault in the battlefield," the country's Tasnim news agency reported Aug. 26.
Salami did not clarified what he means by battlefield.
The commander went on to note that "the response may not be declared before."
The IRGC shot down a radar-evading Israeli spy drone that was trying to penetrate Natanz nuclear enrichment site, the country's media outlets reported on Aug. 25, quoting the Revolutionary Guards.
The incident reportedly happened on Aug. 24, but the IRGC broke the news one day later.
"The downed aircraft was of the stealth, radar-evasive type and it intended to penetrate the off-limit nuclear area in Natanz... but was targeted by a ground-to-air missile before it managed to enter the area," ISNA said, citing a statement by the Revolutionary Guards.
The Israeli military says it will not comment on foreign reports.
Salami underlined that "the Israeli drone was identified upon arrival in Iranian airspace, however permitted to fly to determine its goal."
The commander also dismissed reports that the drone started its flight from Israel."
The operational range of the drone indicates it did not start its flight in Israel and departed from a country in the region," he said.
"We are aware of the approximate origin of the drone, however we will not be prejudiced for the time being."
Earlier General Amir Ali Hajizadeh, the commander of the IRGC Aerospace Force Brigadier said that Iran will accelerate arming the Palestinians in the West Bank in response to the drone operation.