The US military on Thursday (June 20) confirmed that a US Navy drone was shot down by an Iranian surface-to-air missile system while operating in international airspace over the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday (June 19).
"This was an unprovoked attack on a US surveillance asset in international airspace," US Central Command (CENTCOM) said in a statement
Iranian reports that the aircraft was over Iran are false, it added.
The US military Monday (June 17) released new photos it says incriminate the Iranian regime in an attack last week on tanker ships near the Strait of Hormuz.
The Japanese-owned Kokuka Courageous was carrying highly inflammable methanol through the Gulf of Oman on June 13 when it came under attack along with the Norwegian-operated Front Altair -- the second assault in a month in the strategic shipping lane.
Video footage shows an Iranian patrol boat removing an "unexploded limpet mine" from one of the vessels.
