Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said on Twitter on Thursday that the United States is lying over its drone being hit by Iran in international waters, saying Tehran will take the matter to the United Nations.
"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," Zarif tweeted.
Also on Twitter, Zarif said that the US military drone that was shot down by Tehran had taken off from the United Arab Emirates.
"At 00:14 US drone took off from UAE in stealth mode & violated Iranian airspace. It was targeted at 04:05 at the coordinates (2559'43"N 5702'25"E) near Kouh-e Mobarak. We've retrieved sections of the US military drone in OUR territorial waters where it was shot down," Mohammad Javad Zarif tweeted.
US President Donald Trump said Iran made "a very big mistake" by shooting down the drone that Tehran said was on a spy mission over its territory, in an incident that has fanned fears of wider military conflict in the Middle East.
Iran shot down a US military drone it said was on a spy mission over its territory, but Washington said the aircraft was targeted in international air space in "an unprovoked attack".