US: 'No Indication' Iran Shot Down Drone

The situation continues to come unglued in Iran: Tehran, under increasing international scrutiny over its nuclear program, says that it has downed a US spy drone in the eastern part of the country. A US official, however, tells Reuters, "There is absolutely no indication up to this point that Iranians shot down this drone." Rather, the drone in question may be one that was lost last week during a mission over western Afghanistan, according to the NATO-led force in that country. Operators lost control of that "unarmed reconnaissance aircraft," according to a statement from the International Security Assistance Force.

"Iran's military has downed an intruding RQ-170 American drone," the original report from al-Alam state television quoted an unnamed source as saying. To add insult to injury: "The spy drone, which has been downed with little damage, was seized by the Iranian armed forces." (More drones stories.)