UPDATED ON:
Tuesday, October 07, 2008
22:43 Mecca time, 19:43 GMT
 
News Middle East
Iranians claim airspace violated
 

A US aircraft unintentionally violated Iranian airspace and was forced to land in Iran, an Iranian news agency says.

The Fars news agency did not say when the incident happened or give a source for the report on Tuesday, which comes at a time of tension between Tehran and Washington over Iran's nuclear programme.

But the US defence department said it was unaware of any US military aircraft being forced to land in Iran and that all US aircraft in the Gulf region were accounted for.

Lieutenant-Colonel Patrick Ryder said: "According to the combined air operations centre, all our aircraft are accounted for and we have no reports of any aircraft landing in Iran."

Hungarians

A senior Iranian official denied Fars' report on Tuesday, saying both the aircraft and the people on board were Hungarian.

"The Fars report was not accurate. It was an Hungarian aid plane. No American was on board. The incident happened on September 30," the Iranian official, who declined to be named, said.

Fars reported that the jet was carrying five military officials and three civilians from Turkey to Afghanistan when it "unintentionally" entered Iranian airspace.

Iranian fighters guided the jet to an Iranian airport, the passengers were questioned and a day later were released and allowed to continue to their destination, Fars said.

It said the jet was a Falcon, apparently referring to a passenger aircraft manufactured by the French firm Dassault.

'Lost its way'

Al-Alam, Iran's official Arabic-language television station, quoted an unnamed military official as saying that the jet belonged to either a British or Hungarian relief agency.

He said the aircraft "lost its way" and violated Iranian air space. He said the passengers included American military personnel but did not elaborate.

"This plane was not a military plane and did not belong to the United States," the official was quoted as saying by Al-Alam.

The aircraft was forced to land in Iran on Sunday and allowed to fly to Afghanistan on Monday, the website said.

Alireza Ronaghi, Al Jazeera's correspondent in Tehran, said: "The plane entered Iranian airspace via the Turkish border. Iran noticed it and forced it to land.

"After interrogations were completed, it was clear that they entered [Iranian airspace] unintentionally, with their destination being Afghanistan."

 Source: Al Jazeera and agencies
Feedback Number of comments : 8
 
Peace lover
Bangladesh
07/10/2008
Iranian airspace
Iran always should ready to protect archenemy US and Israel from it`s airspace. Because they trying to attack in Iran peacefull nuclear activity.

Eddie
Australia
09/10/2008
Irans holy airspace
Dear John, your blood pressure should not rise. if you read other news agencies especially BBC and CNN, they also use such opportunities and add some spice to it. so, CNN has done it so many times and you just enjoyed it. now that its a non-western news agency, you seem to side with honesty and fairness!

Mehran
Iran
07/10/2008
Iranians force the violater to land
You see my friends, Iran is, in practice, the only country in the Persian Gulf region that nondiscriminatory acts against anyone who violates its airspace. Whether it is Aid agencies of Europe who deliver US army (!), or British Navy. This is the way to defend your country. I.R. gets my 10 points.

John
Afghanistan
07/10/2008
Errors in report
Do your research and check your facts. There were no Americans on the plane - civilian, military or otherwise. In addition, the plane was not owned or operated by the US military or a US company. Again, act like a responsible news organization and check your facts.

Sherpa
Canada
09/10/2008
Unintentionally... As if...
"A US aircraft unintentionally violated Iranian airspace" ROFLMAO of course it was unintentional. No doubt they're going to badger the Iranians incessantly so they can justify another illegal attack on another peaceful nation. Well done Iran don't take the bait!!

Bill Cooper
Canada
13/10/2008
Read Carefully
What behnam says is true, Richard. You show the very bloodthirsty homage to United Hates hegemony that US television programs into you every night. But I'm Canadian and I say the United Hates has lost all world respect and might well be said to have a suicide wish. I'm not blaming you I'm warning you. Many Canadians are sucked into the same mind-set, but it's a deadly mistake.

Richard Talmadge
United States
10/10/2008
Plane
It's not hard to figure out that the plane was not American. No American plane would be without fighter escort in that part of the world. An American plane would not "lose its way" because it would have world class navigation equipment operated by highly trained pilots. In the event of malfunction or pilot error, AWACS planes would recognize the problem and alert the aircraft. Iranian pilots would not be foolish enough to try to force a US plane to land. I'm sure they have no death wish.

behnam
Iran
12/10/2008
youre so and so world class navigation equipment opreated by highly trained military,and AWACS planes shut down civilian iranian airplane over persian gulf killing many civilians few year back. so cut the BS,and lets take care of yore money and retirement that was just stolen by fat cats in wall street.good luck

 
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