Iran Intercepts United States Navy Reconnaissance Aircraft Near the Gulf of Oman

JAKARTA - The Iranian Navy said it identified and alerted a United States reconnaissance aircraft near the Gulf of Oman on Sunday, the semi-official Tasnim news agency reported.

"After the warning, the aircraft was prevented from entering the country's skies without permission," the report said, identifying the aircraft as a United States Navy EP-3E.

Tasnim's initial report said the plane had crossed into Iranian airspace. However, the same report later said that the plane did not enter Iranian skies and had departed after the warning.

Separately, the US Department of Defense did not immediately respond to a request for comment regarding these claims.

Iran has had similar confrontations with US troops in the past. In 2019, Iran shot down a US drone that it said was flying over southern Iran.

On December 31, Iran said its military had launched a drone to warn of a reconnaissance aircraft trying to approach Iran's war games on the Gulf coast, without identifying the aircraft.

Meanwhile, the US Navy frequently intercepts Iranian ships that smuggle weapons and fuel in the Gulf of Oman, citing The National News.

The United States has long deployed weapons and troops in the oil-producing Gulf to provide security to its allies.

Long-tense relations between Iran and the United States have worsened in the past year, when talks to revive the 2015 nuclear deal broke down, coupled with a deadly crackdown on protesters by the Iranian government.