Iran says Revolutionary Guard shot down U.S. droneJune 20, 2019 - 10:57 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Iran's elite Revolutionary Guard force said Thursday, June 20 it shot down a U.S. "spy drone" over its territory, Iranian state television reported, according to Al Jazeera. An anonymous U.S. official later told news agencies an American naval drone was downed over international airspace. "The U.S.-made Global Hawk surveillance drone was brought down" in the country's southern coastal province of Hormozgan, the Revolutionary Guard was quoted as saying by the English-language Press TV. "It was shot down when it entered Iran's airspace near the Kouhmobarak district in the south," the force's website said. State television did not provide images of the aircraft. The U.S. military initially denied the report. "There was no drone over Iranian territory," Navy Captain Bill Urban, a U.S. Central Command spokesman, told The Associated Press. He declined further comment. However an American official, speaking on condition of anonymity, later said a U.S. Navy MQ-4C Triton drone was brought down by an Iranian surface-to-air missile in international airspace over the Strait of Hormuz. No further details were immediately available, including the time of the shootdown. Top stories 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". The earthquake caused a temporary blackout, damaged many buildings and closed a number of rural roads. Partner news | Cyprus parliament honors Armenian genocide victims Acting House President Zacharias Koulias noted that April 24 marks the “black anniversary” of the Armenian genocide. Armenia PM, France envoy discuss regional matters Issues related to the consistent development of Armenia-France cooperation were discussed. Azerbaijan razes historic Armenian church to ground Azerbaijan has demolished the historic Armenian Church of St. John the Baptist (known as Kanach Zham). Russia to begin assessing migrant workers' speaking skills Rosobrnadzor is planning to change the Russian language exam for migrant workers and include an assessment of speaking skills |