Iran says it chased out three US aircraft over ADIZ violation during Naval exercises

The Iranian Navy on September 11 said that it intercepted three United States aircraft that flew close to an area where the military was conducting exercises. According to the Iranian Navy, the US aircraft flew near the Strait of Hormuz and were detected by Iran's radar after they entered the country's air defence identification zone (ADIZ). 

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The three US aircraft detected by the Iranian military was a P-8 airplane, an MQ-9 drone, and an RQ-4 drone. The Iranian military on its website said that after ignoring repeated warnings by defence systems, the US aircraft were chased out of its air defence zone by a drone. The Iranian military in June last year had said that it shot down an RQ-4 drone of the US Army after it violated the country's airspace, a claim that was dismissed by Washington. 

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The three-day Zulfiqar 99 Army Joint Drill was started on September 10 in the Oman Sea with the slogan "Sustainable Security in the Shadow of Defense Authority." Rear Admiral Sayyari called the drill exercised by the Army of the Islamic Republic of Iran as an indication of Iran's power in defeating enemies.

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US-Iran tensions

Tensions between Iran and the United States have been at an all-time high ever since Donald Trump became president in 2016. The Trump administration in 2018 unilaterally withdrew from the 2015 nuclear deal reimposing harsh sanctions on Iran. Tehran and Washington were at loggerheads earlier this year after the US Army killed top Iranian commander General Qassem Soleimani. A couple of days later, the Islamic Republic retaliated by firing rockets on US bases in Iraq. 

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