Iran reportedly threatened to shoot down US Navy jets over Persian Gulf. As with all nations, Iran's territorial waters stretch 12 miles into the sea.

The Iranian military threatened to shoot down two US Navy surveillance aircraft that passed close to Iranian territory last weekend, Fox News reports.

The two aircraft flew within 13 miles of the coast of Iran in the Strait of Hormuz and the Gulf of Oman, according to the report.

• As with all nations, Iran's territorial waters stretch 12 miles into the sea.

The two jets ignored Iran's warning and continued to fly in international airspace.

"We wanted to test the Iranian reaction," one US official told Fox in response to being asked why the aircraft had flown so close to Iranian territory.

"It's one thing to tell someone to get off your lawn, but we weren't on their lawn," they continued. "Anytime you threaten to shoot someone down, it's not considered professional."

• According to the official, the latest intelligence information they had showed there were no Iranian missile launchers in the vicinity.

Meanwhile, a senior Iranian military commander on Sunday dismissed claims from Washington that US patrol ships have been harassed by Iranian boats in the Persian Gulf, saying Tehran acted according to international law...
 [i24news.tv]
13/9/16
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