Iranian FM Zarif Reveals Detailed Map of Downed US Drone's Route

The Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (ISRC) stated on 20 June that it had shot down a US surveillance drone over the coastal Hormozgan Province, facing the Persian Gulf, for entering Iranian airspace, while the US claimed the drone was in international airspace.

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has posted on Twitter a detailed map with the “path, location, and point of impact of the US military drone Iran shot down” on 20 June.

“At 00:14 US drone took off from UAE in stealth mode & violated Iranian airspace. It was targeted at 04:05 at the coordinates (25°59’43″N 57°02’25″E) near Kouh-e Mobarak. We’ve retrieved sections of the US military drone in OUR territorial waters where it was shot down”, he said.

The US wages #EconomicTerrorism on Iran, has conducted covert action against us & now encroaches on our territory.

We don’t seek war, but will zealously defend our skies, land & waters.

We’ll take this new aggression to #UN & show that the US is lying about international waters

— Javad Zarif (@JZarif) June 20, 2019

According to Zarif, Tehran doesn’t seek war, “but will zealously defend our skies, land & waters”.​

At 00:14 US drone took off from UAE in stealth mode & violated Iranian airspace. It was targeted at 04:05 at the coordinates (25°59’43″N 57°02’25″E) near Kouh-e Mobarak.

We’ve retrieved sections of the US military drone in OUR territorial waters where it was shot down. pic.twitter.com/pJ34Tysmsg

— Javad Zarif (@JZarif) June 20, 2019

For more visual detail on the path, location, and point of impact of the U.S. military drone Iran shot down on Thursday, and of the waters over which it was flying, see these maps and coordinates.

There can be no doubt about where the vessel was when it was brought down. pic.twitter.com/eInqIYolaS

— Javad Zarif (@JZarif) June 22, 2019

LEGEND: blue=drone; yellow line=Iranian FIR; red line=Iranian territorial waters; ; green line=baseline internal waters; yellow dots=Iran radio warnings sent; red dot=point of impact. pic.twitter.com/Fs2jadCuoq

— Javad Zarif (@JZarif) June 22, 2019

One last visual: Red dot is the impact point of the trespassing drone against the border of Iran; and the border of the United States. pic.twitter.com/nqVYI6EmkL

— Javad Zarif (@JZarif) June 22, 2019

Earlier, the Iranian foreign minister assured that Tehran intends to prove that the United States is lying by claiming that its drone was downed by the Iranian Army while in international airspace.

US President Donald Trump reacted to the incident by saying that Iran made “a very big mistake”, adding that the US military is ready to strike targets in Iran in response to the downing of the drone, but he called off the attack at the last minute because he deemed the response disproportionate.

Tensions in the region have escalated since the US increased its military presence in the Persian Gulf in what US National Security Adviser John Bolton described as “a clear and unmistakable signal to the Iranian regime that any attack on the interests of the United States or [its] allies will be met with ruthless force”.

Last week, two oil tankers were attacked in the Gulf of Oman near the Strait of Hormuz. While the cause of the incident remains unknown, the United States claims Iran sabotaged the vessels.