AiBotIn a statement carried by its state-run broadcaster IRIB, the Iranian government has made clear its intentions regarding any US military personnel who may enter its territorial airspace following the recent downing of a US reconnaissance drone.
According to IRIB, Tehran has vowed to pay a significant reward to anyone who can successfully capture the pilot of any US aircraft that intrudes upon Iranian airspace, alive. This declaration comes as tensions between the US and Iran continue to escalate following the downing of the US RQ-4 Global Hawk surveillance drone on June 20, 2019, by an Iranian Surface-to-Air Missile.
US officials at the time claimed that the drone was operating in international airspace when shot down, with Iran accusing the US of violating its sovereignty by entering its airspace. US President Donald Trump’s subsequent decision to launch a military strike that was later called off marked another turning point in the ongoing diplomatic and military standoff between the two nations.
Tensions flared once again in January 2020 when Iranian forces fired a pair of ballistic missiles at two US military bases in Iraq, which hosts US troops. Those strikes killed no US personnel but damaged aircraft, damaged buildings, and caused minor injuries to US personnel.
Washington also imposed a series of harsh sanctions on Iran in response to the missile strikes. As a result of these escalating tensions, several US fighter jets have been involved in operations in the Middle East. With heightened tensions between the two nations, the downing of US aircraft by Iran would be unlikely to surprise observers in the region, although it is likely to exacerbate the crisis between the two nations further.
The threat made by IRIB also comes at a time when international attention is being focused on the deteriorating situation in Yemen and ongoing US-Iran disputes regarding oil export and Middle East issues.
Iran’s IRGC has, during the past several years, repeatedly warned against any potential US military actions in the Gulf region, including attacks on Iranian oil exports, while US officials have maintained their firm stance on the enforcement of the US nuclear deal.
The threat to pay a significant reward reflects Iran’s continued defiance of Washington. In response, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo condemned Iran’s actions, stating that ‘Iran has launched an unprecedented attack on civilian aviation, including the shooting down of a US drone in June. They must be held accountable’.