Report: Iran May Transfer Intelligence from U.S. Drone to Hizbullah
An Iranian daily said Wednesday that Tehran may transfer to Syria and Hizbullah intelligence from a U.S. drone that was allegedly downed by Iranian armed forces.
The report came in the conservative Mellat newspaper as state radio said that the unmanned spy plane was deep inside Iran's airspace, flying over an eastern town famous for Persian carpets and saffron when it was downed.
The station said the stealth-version of the RQ-170 drone was detected by Iranian forces over the eastern town of Kashmar, some 225 kilometers from the border with Afghanistan.
It added that Iran will "soon" broadcast video footage of the downed drone.
But Iran's hardline Kayhan daily quoted an unnamed military expert as saying Iranian forces did not shoot down the drone.
The expert, though, said the Iranian military is capable of bringing it down in such a way that the "body of the plane and its parts remain intact."
Two U.S. officials confirmed to CNN on Tuesday that the drone was part of a CIA reconnaissance mission which involved both the intelligence community and military personnel stationed in Afghanistan.
Source: Associated Press, Naharnet
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