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Iran says it warned off U.S. plane near maneuvers
The incident involving the two old foes happened on Monday, the semi-official news agency quoted the armed forces chief as saying.Iran's navy last week launched eight days of exercises in the Gulf and the Gulf of Oman, in a region crucial for global oil supplies. "A U.S. reconnaissance aircraft which had intended to approach our operational war games left ... upon the timely warning of our air defense forces," Fars quoted army commander Ataollah Salehi as saying. He was speaking to reporters as the military test-fired two surface-to-sea missiles in the Gulf of Oman, it added. There was no immediate U.S. comment on the report. U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates said last week Iran was challenging U.S. naval power in the Middle East with an array of offensive and defensive weapons. Salehi said: "It's past the epoch when America would change the regime in a country by just dispatching a warship." Iran's latest maneuvers coincide with rising tension between Iran and the West, which says Tehran's nuclear work is aimed at making bombs. Iran denies this. The United States is pushing for a fourth round of U.N. sanctions on the Islamic state over its refusal to halt sensitive nuclear activities as demanded by the U.N. Security Council. Iran often announces advances in its military capabilities and tests weaponry in an apparent attempt to show its readiness for any strikes by Israel or the United States. Posted by: tipper 2010-05-11 |
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