TEHRAN - Brigadier General Farzad Esmaeili, commander of Khatam al-Anbia Air Defense Headquarters, said on Saturday that Iran gave the U.S. U2 spy plane warning in the recent past days as it was entering the Iranian airspace.

Khatam ol-Anbia forces warned the U.S. U2 plane to stay away from Iran’s borders when the aircraft intended to violate the country’s airspace and it was forced to change its direction, the general said during a ceremony held to commemorate the Sacred Defense week.

He added, “Today, some of the European officials should get permission to pass our country’s sky and in some cases, they have waited for hours to enter Iran’s airspace.” 

Khatam ol-Anbia air defense unit warded off a U.S. radar-evading spy drone after approaching the country’s border areas from Afghanistan in August which was intended to pass Iran’s airspace for espionage purposes.

According to Fars news agency, the unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) had taken off from a U.S. base in Kandahar and had advanced to areas 20 miles off the Iranian borders when it was alarmed.

NA/PA