TEHRAN – Chief of the Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force (IRIAF) Aziz Nasirzadeh said on Sunday that his forces have not let the enemies reach their objectives.

Pointing to the economic, military and strategic importance of the Persian Gulf, Brigadier General Nasirzadeh said the IRIAF has disappointed the enemies with regard to their goals in the region, Mehr reported.

The IRIAF is always ready to protect the country against the enemies’ plots, he added.

Tensions between Tehran and Washington entered a new stage since April when the U.S. designated the IRGC (part of the Iranian military) as a terrorist organization, announced that it does no renew waivers for the remaining buyers of the Iranian oil, and started beefing up its military presence in the region, particularly in the Persian Gulf.

The tension further escalated on June 20, when the Iranian military shot down an unmanned U.S. surveillance drone after it breached Iran’s airspace. The U.S. drone entered the Iranian airspace from the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Commander of the IRGC Aerospace Force Amir Ali Hajizadeh rejected the U.S. claim that the doomed drone had not entered the Iranian airspace, saying, “Other countries have refuted the U.S. claim of not violating the Iranian border.”

MH/PA