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Iran summons Swiss envoy to voice protest over airspace violation by US drone

21 June 2019 14:27 (UTC +04:00)

Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister for Political Affairs Seyyed Abbas Araqchi has voiced Tehran's protest to Swiss Ambassador to Iran Markus Leitner, acting on behalf of Washington in the Middle East country, over the recent incident with US spy drone's incursion into the country's airspace, APA reports citing Sputnik.

"In talks late on Thursday, Araqchi told Markus Leitner — whose country represents the US interests in the Islamic Republic — that there was 'indisputable' evidence that the drone had violated Iran's airspace", the Iranian Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Friday.

Araqchi noted that Iran retrieved fragments of the downed drone from the country's territorial waters, while stressing that "Iran does not seek a war and conflict in the Persian Gulf."

The Iranian foreign minister also urged the United States not to take rash steps in the region.

The Iranian Islamic Revolution Guards Corps said on Thursday that it had shot down a US surveillance drone over the coastal Hormozgan province, facing the Persian Gulf, for violating Iran’s airspace. The US military initially denied the claims. US President Donald Trump previously said Iran made "a very big mistake" but later told reporters he doubted the drone shootdown was intentional.