By IANS,
Tehran: Iran’s foreign minister Ali-Akbar Salehi has said that the fate of the downed US spy drone would be decided by the country and rejected the US request of returning the drone.
Iran was presently in possession of the US drone, and the Iranian Supreme National Security Council was to decide about its fate, Xinhua reported IRNA news agency citing Salehi.
Iranian media reported earlier this month that the Iranian military downed a RQ-170 stealth aircraft of the US in the eastern Iran after finding it transgressing the eastern border. The country’s state TV later showed the footage of the drone.
However, US officials denied that the drone was brought down by Iran, insisting that its fall was due to mechanical problems.
On Monday, US President Barack Obama demanded Iran to return the drone, but Iran rejected the request, insisting that the aircraft was “Iran’s property.”
Salehi also stressed that Iran would follow up the case of the US “invasion” of its airspace and would defend the rights of the nation.
Iran has already submitted a protest letter to the UN secretary general, the Organisation of the Islamic Cooperation and the Non-Aligned Movement, the foreign minister stated.