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 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 | Government reveals details from Pashinyan’s meeting in border village Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has met with a group of residents of a border village in Armenia’s northern Tavush province Narek Manasyan wins European Boxing Championships silver for Armenia Armenia’s Narek Manasyan (92kg) won Armenia’s second silver medal at the European Boxing Championships 2024 on April 28. Blinken urges Azerbaijan to continue negotiations with Armenia Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken has urged Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev to continue negotiations with Armenia. Pashinyan, Blinken talk Armenia-U.S. ties over the phone Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan had a phone conversation with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on April 28, Pashinyan’s office reports. |