The US navy stated its F-15 had saved at a protected distance.
Dubai:
Iran stated on Friday a US fighter jet “harassed” an Iranian civilian airliner in an act of terrorism that injured and panicked passengers, dismissing a US account that the jet was merely conducting a visible inspection.
State TV video footage of the within of the Mahan Air airliner confirmed a passenger mendacity motionless on the ground and one other with a wounded nostril and brow, presenting his bloodied face masks to the digicam.
A number of passengers, some seen screaming and shouting, have been injured within the flight manoeuvre over Syria because the airliner quickly modified altitude to keep away from collision, in line with Iranian media.
The US navy stated its F-15 had saved at a protected distance.
Its Central Command, which oversees American troops within the area, stated the fighter was conducting a visible inspection of the airliner because it handed close to the Tanf garrison in Syria, house to U.S. forces.
The inspection was carried out in accordance with worldwide requirements “at a protected distance of about 1,000 metres (three,280 toes)… to make sure the security of coalition personnel at Tanf garrison,” senior spokesman Captain Invoice City stated.
“As soon as the F-15 pilot recognized the plane as a Mahan Air passenger aircraft, the F-15 safely opened distance from the plane.”
The US has lengthy accused Mahan Air of ferrying weapons for Iranian-linked guerrillas in Syria and elsewhere and imposed sanctions on the airline since 2011.
The pilot of the passenger aircraft contacted the jet pilots to warn them to maintain a protected distance and so they recognized themselves as American, Iran’s official IRIB information company reported.
Iranian Highway Minister Mohammad Eslami was quoted by the semi-official ISNA information company as saying Tehran had lodged a criticism with the Worldwide Civil Aviation Group, describing Thursday’s incident as a “terrorist act, certainly one of aggression”.
Laya Joneydi, vice chairman for authorized affairs, was quoted as saying by Iranian media that the U.S. motion was “harassment of a passenger aircraft” and a “clear violation of aviation safety”.
“The reasons offered up to now (by the U.S. navy) are unjustified and unconvincing,” she stated.
Lebanon’s highly effective Iran-backed Hezbollah motion, condemned the incident in a press release as a “terrorist act …that would have led to penalties of an unknown extent within the area”.
‘ELECTION PLAYTHING’?
Iran’s International Ministry stated the encounter is perhaps linked to the upcoming U.S. presidential election, state media reported.
“The safety of West Asia shouldn’t grow to be a plaything within the U.S. election marketing campaign,” ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi stated. He didn’t elaborate.
“Iran will not depart any hostile transfer in opposition to its nation unanswered and shall reply decisively and appropriately to any irrational transfer in due time,” Mousavi stated.
International Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif accused the US of endangering civilian passengers. “These outlaws should be stopped earlier than catastrophe,” he tweeted.
The Iranian aircraft was heading from Tehran to Beirut.
Video footage confirmed oxygen masks fallen from the overhead roof panels. One jet will be seen via a seat window flying a ways away in a transparent blue sky.
“I noticed a black aircraft approaching us, after which we misplaced our stability,” one unidentified injured passenger informed state TV.
“It was a jet. Virtually so close to our aircraft.”
(This story has not been edited by NDTV employees and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
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