A US spy drone downed by Iran had its tracking equipment turned off, contravening aviation rules, Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has said.

“The drone took off from a US base in the southern Persian Gulf,” according to a statement by the elite unit. While in the air, the US allegedly attempted to make the drone appear invisible to radar.

It had turned off all its identifying equipment in violation of aviation rules and was moving in full secrecy.

Earlier, Tehran said its air defenses had shot down a US RQ-4 Global Hawk reconnaissance drone overnight, after it illegally entered Iranian airspace over southern Iran.

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The US confirmed the incident but insisted the UAV did not cross into Iran. The IRGC commander-in-chief, Hossein Salami, for his part said the aircraft violated the Iranian airspace. He stressed that the response was meant to send “a clear message” to Washington that Tehran was prepared to respond to any further attacks on its soil.

The incident comes as US-Iran tensions continue to simmer with Washington sending additional military resources such as an aircraft carrier fleet, Patriot air defenses, and 1,000 additional troops to the Gulf region.

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