Iran warns away American U2 spy plane, army general saysSeptember 23, 2016 - 18:08 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - An Iranian general in charge of the Islamic Republic's air defense says his forces warned off an American U2 spy plane trying to fly over his country, the Associated Press reports. Iranian state television broadcast the comments by Gen. Farzad Esmaili on Friday, September 23, saying the incident happened "in recent days." Esmaili said the plane flew away, without elaborating on where the aircraft attempted to enter Iranian airspace. The U.S. military did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The U2 spy plane, developed during the Cold War to spy on the Soviet Union, can fly above 21,336 meters. It carries high-resolution cameras and sensors to gather radio signals and other intelligence. Earlier this month, the U.S. Navy said Iran threatened two American maritime patrol aircraft flying over the Strait of Hormuz. Top stories Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev arrived in Moscow on April 22 to hold talks with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin. Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". Partner news | Armenia Security Council chief traveling to Qatar Secretary of the Security Council of Armenia Armen Grigoryan will travel on a working visit to Qatar. Armenian Foreign Minister regrets “tragic loss” of Iranian counterpart The Armenian Foreign Ministry has expressed shock over the death of the Iranian President and the Minister of Foreign Affairs. Armenian PM sends condolences to Iran Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan sent a message of condolence to the Supreme Leader Seyyed Ali Khamenei. Armenia, Turkey discuss restoration of historic bridge The meeting took place on May 17 in Ashgabat on the sidelines of an international conference of ministers of culture. |