Russia has military intelligence that shows a US drone was in Iranian air space when it was shot down, the secretary of the country’s Security Council has said.
Speaking at a briefing for journalists in Jerusalem, Nikolai Patrushev also said evidence presented by the US alleging Tehran was behind attacks on oil tankers in the Gulf of Oman was of poor quality and unprofessional.
Mr Patrushev’s comments came after the US imposed new sanctions targeting Iran’s supreme leader and other senior officials, which US president Donald Trump said was a “proportionate response to Iran’s increasingly provocative actions”.
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The US government claims one of those actions was the “unprovoked” shooting down of a US navy RQ-4A Global Hawk in international airspace over the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran said the drone, with a wingspan larger than a Boeing 737 and costing more than over $100m (£79m), had violated its territorial airspace – a claim now supported by Moscow.
1/17
Iran claims that in this picture released by Iran state TV, their surface-to-air missile is seen as it shoots down a US surveillance drone
EPA
2/17
This photo shows US RQ-4A Global Hawk unmanned surveillance drone. A drone of this model was shot down by Iran on Thursday 21 June
AFP/Getty
3/17
An oil tanker is on fire after it was subject to a suspected attacked at the Gulf of Oman on June 13. The US has blamed Iran for the attack
Reuters
4/17
Iran claims that in this picture released by Iran state TV, debris from the downed US drone is seen after it was recovered from Iranian waters
AFP/Getty
5/17
Smoke billows from an oil tanker after it was subject to a suspected attacked at the Gulf of Oman on June 13
Reuters
6/17
US President Trump holds up a signed executive order to increase sanctions on Iran on 24 June
Bioreports
7/17
Iranian President Rouhani stated in a televised address that the White House is “afflicted by mental retardation” following the increase in sanctions on 25 June
EPA
8/17
An Iranian navy boat tackles the fire on the Norwegian owned Front Altair oil tanker after it was hit in a suspected attack
AFP/Getty
9/17
Iran claims that in this picture released by Iran state TV, debris from the downed US drone is seen after it was recovered from Iranian waters
AFP/Getty
10/17
Smoke billows from an oil tanker after it was subject to a suspected attacked at the Gulf of Oman on June 13
Reuters
11/17
A screenshot from a video released by the US Department of Defense that the US claims to show Iranian removing an unexploded limpet mine form the hull of the Japan-owned ship that was attacked in the Gulf of Oman on June 13
Getty
12/17
An item reportedly found on the Japan-owned oil tanker that was attacked on June 13 in the Gulf of Oman
AFP/Getty
13/17
A handout photograph from the US Department of Defense shows a composite material that the US claim was left behind on the hull of the Japan-owned oil tanker following the removal of an unexploded limpet mine
Getty
14/17
A view from the cabin of an Iranian navy boat as it tackles the fire on the Norwegian owned Front Altair oil tanker after it was hit in a suspected attack
EPA
15/17 Release by US government
A picture released by U.S. Central Command shows damage to the hull of the oil tanker Kokuka Courageous. The picture suggests that the ship is ‘likely’ to have been hit by a mine as the US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo moves to blame Iran for the suspected attack
Reuters
16/17
Smoke billows from an oil tanker after it was subject to a suspected attacked at the Gulf of Oman on June 13
Reuters
17/17 Release by US government
A picture released by U.S. Central Command shows damage to the hull of the oil tanker Kokuka Courageous. The pictures suggests that the ship is ‘likely’ to have been hit by a mine as the US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo moves to blame Iran for the suspected attack
EPA
1/17
Iran claims that in this picture released by Iran state TV, their surface-to-air missile is seen as it shoots down a US surveillance drone
EPA
2/17
This photo shows US RQ-4A Global Hawk unmanned surveillance drone. A drone of this model was shot down by Iran on Thursday 21 June
AFP/Getty
3/17
An oil tanker is on fire after it was subject to a suspected attacked at the Gulf of Oman on June 13. The US has blamed Iran for the attack
Reuters
4/17
Iran claims that in this picture released by Iran state TV, debris from the downed US drone is seen after it was recovered from Iranian waters
AFP/Getty
5/17
Smoke billows from an oil tanker after it was subject to a suspected attacked at the Gulf of Oman on June 13
Reuters
6/17
US President Trump holds up a signed executive order to increase sanctions on Iran on 24 June
Bioreports
7/17
Iranian President Rouhani stated in a televised address that the White House is “afflicted by mental retardation” following the increase in sanctions on 25 June
EPA
8/17
An Iranian navy boat tackles the fire on the Norwegian owned Front Altair oil tanker after it was hit in a suspected attack
AFP/Getty
9/17
Iran claims that in this picture released by Iran state TV, debris from the downed US drone is seen after it was recovered from Iranian waters
AFP/Getty
10/17
Smoke billows from an oil tanker after it was subject to a suspected attacked at the Gulf of Oman on June 13
Reuters
11/17
A screenshot from a video released by the US Department of Defense that the US claims to show Iranian removing an unexploded limpet mine form the hull of the Japan-owned ship that was attacked in the Gulf of Oman on June 13
Getty
12/17
An item reportedly found on the Japan-owned oil tanker that was attacked on June 13 in the Gulf of Oman
AFP/Getty
13/17
A handout photograph from the US Department of Defense shows a composite material that the US claim was left behind on the hull of the Japan-owned oil tanker following the removal of an unexploded limpet mine
Getty
14/17
A view from the cabin of an Iranian navy boat as it tackles the fire on the Norwegian owned Front Altair oil tanker after it was hit in a suspected attack
EPA
15/17 Release by US government
A picture released by U.S. Central Command shows damage to the hull of the oil tanker Kokuka Courageous. The picture suggests that the ship is ‘likely’ to have been hit by a mine as the US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo moves to blame Iran for the suspected attack
Reuters
16/17
Smoke billows from an oil tanker after it was subject to a suspected attacked at the Gulf of Oman on June 13
Reuters
17/17 Release by US government
A picture released by U.S. Central Command shows damage to the hull of the oil tanker Kokuka Courageous. The pictures suggests that the ship is ‘likely’ to have been hit by a mine as the US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo moves to blame Iran for the suspected attack
EPA
Either way, it marked the first time Iran had struck the US military, which released a set of coordinates it claimed the drone was shot down at.
The US has also blamed Iran for attacks on two oil tankers earlier this month near the Strait of Hormuz, though US officials have so far provided publicly only shaky evidence for the claim, which Iran denies.
US disarmament ambassador Robert Wood said Mr Trump was leaving a path open to diplomacy, but that Iran would be making a mistake if it interprets restraint for weakness.
Mr Trump had last week ordered reprisal air strikes over the downed drone, but called them off at the last minute when he was told of the likely resulting loss of life.
On Tuesday, Iran’s foreign ministry said the sanctions on figures including the Ayatollah Ali Khamenei would mean the permanent closure of diplomatic channels between Tehran and Washington.
Iranian president Hassan Rouhani later called the penalties “idiotic” and said the White House was “afflicted by mental retardation”.
Tensions have been mounting in the Gulf since Mr Trump withdrew the US from a 2015 multilateral deal in which Iran agreed to limit its nuclear programme in return for the lifting of crippling economic sanctions.
On Tuesday, the UK, Germany and France issued a joint statement calling for “de-escalation and dialogue” amid “grave concern” about increased tensions in the region.
They also reiterated their commitment to the 2015 nuclear deal, and urged “all sides to do the same”.
“It is in everyone’s interest to show restraint and avoid any actions that would undermine this vital pillar of the non-proliferation regime and of our collective security,” the statement said.
Additional reporting by agencies
