Story highlights The footage was released by Iranian state media and placed on YouTube

Iran claims it downed the plane in 2011

Obama in the past asked for the drone back

Iran says it has decoded and released footage from a U.S. drone that it downed more than a year ago.

The black and white aerial footage, which Iran claims was from a RQ-170 spy plane, was aired by Iranian news agencies and placed on YouTube.

A man, identified in Iranian media as Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps Brig. Gen. Amir Ali Hajizadeh, narrates parts of the footage.

"This aircraft has carried out many operations in the countries around Iran," the narrator says. "In the operations taken place in Pakistan, this aircraft guided many of the clashes ..."

JUST WATCHED Questions on Iran claim of hacked drone Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH Questions on Iran claim of hacked drone 02:13

JUST WATCHED FBI used drones in hostage rescue Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH FBI used drones in hostage rescue 01:55

JUST WATCHED Targeting American terrorists overseas Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH Targeting American terrorists overseas 02:07

JUST WATCHED Man's son and grandson killed by drones Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH Man's son and grandson killed by drones 01:36

The narrator also says that some of the footage shows the drone near Kandahar Airfield in southern Afghanistan.

CNN can not independently verify the authenticity of the video. Also CNN could not immediately reach Pentagon officials for comment.

Iran had said it downed the drone on December 4, 2011, near Kashmar in the country's northeast, some 225 kilometers (140 miles) from the border with Afghanistan.

At the time, U.S. officials acknowledged that the drone was missing and President Barack Obama asked Iran to return it

"We've asked for it back. We'll see how the Iranians respond," Obama said later that month.

At the time, Iranian military officials vowed not to return the plane.

This claim from Tehran comes at the same time that the U.S. drone program is being heavily debated in Washington.

John Brennan, Obama's pick to head the CIA, has been one of the architects of the drone campaign against al Qaeda and its allies for the past four years.

Senators will get to grill on him Thursday at his confirmation hearing.

Also Thursday, the Senate Intelligence Committee will receive a classified drone policy document that seeks to justify the administration's policy of targeting Americans overseas via drone attacks, a topic that has stirred controversies recently.