Azernews.Az

By Sara Rajabova

Iran has warned against what it called repeated violations of the country's airspace by the US military fleet, urging Washington to remain committed to its international obligations, Press TV channel reported.

"In its strong protests, the Islamic Republic of Iran has urged the US to remain committed to its international obligations for observing principles and regulations of international law and the principle of our country's sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity," Foreign Ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast said Monday.

Earlier, Iran warned against "repeated violations of its airspace" by US drones and the illegal moves of US Navy warships in the Persian Gulf and the Sea of Oman.

Mehmanparast said Iran has formally protested at US violations of Iranian airspace in writing to the United Nations and the UN Security Council, and this shows Iran's seriousness in defending and protecting its sovereign territory.

The spokesman added that the US military fleet violated Iran's airspace eight times in October and Tehran has called on international bodies to warn American officials against such violations in the future.

"We believe that countries' noncompliance with international principles and norms can undermine regional and global stability and security," he said.

Iran's Ambassador to the UN Mohammad Khazaei submitted two identical letters to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and the UN Security Council on Friday, saying the US Navy has carried out "illegal and provocative acts."

Khazaei said a US drone had entered Iran's airspace on November 1 despite repeated radio warnings. He also cited seven US flights over the coastal areas of Bushehr, located in southern Iran, in October.

The letters, circulated Friday, urged Ban Ki-moon to warn the U.S. "against the continuation of acts in violation of international law and of the adverse consequences of any provocative and dangerous acts for which the United States government would be held responsible."

The White House has not commented on the issue yet.

Mehmanparast emphasized that Iran reserves the right to give due response to any issue pertaining to the protection of its airspace, in line with international regulations. "We have previously warned all countries and Israel that all countries should respect Iran's airspace and maritime borders.."

In further remarks, Mehmanparast said the current structure of the United Nations and the UN Security Council is unjust, and that neither the UN nor the UNSC has the capability or the means to establish peace, security and stability in the world.

Earlier in November, Iran's military repelled an unmanned aerial vehicle that had entered the country's airspace "above the territorial waters of the Islamic Republic in the Persian Gulf."

The Pentagon said two Iranian warplanes had fired at a US drone as it conducted a routine, but classified, surveillance mission over the Persian Gulf about 16 nautical miles off the Iranian coast.

However, Brigadier General Amir Ali Hajizadeh, commander of the Aerospace Division of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps, said the drone had been driven away by Iranian forces as it attempted to gather oil and economic intelligence around Kharg Island in southern Iran.

Hajizadeh stated that the country's armed forces would respond with stronger action if US drones attempted to violate Iran's airspace again.