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Iran 'shoots down Israeli drone' near Natanz nuclear site | |
(about 2 hours later) | |
Iran says it has shot down an Israeli drone near the Natanz nuclear enrichment site. | Iran says it has shot down an Israeli drone near the Natanz nuclear enrichment site. |
The Revolutionary Guards said they fired the missile as the stealth drone approached the area, 300km (185 miles) south of the capital Tehran. | |
The statement did not say when the drone was brought down, nor how the Guards knew it was Israeli. | |
World powers are currently negotiating with Iran over its nuclear programme. | World powers are currently negotiating with Iran over its nuclear programme. |
Tehran insists it wants to keep its nuclear capabilities for peaceful purposes, but critics - including many in Israel - say this is a front for producing nuclear weapons. | Tehran insists it wants to keep its nuclear capabilities for peaceful purposes, but critics - including many in Israel - say this is a front for producing nuclear weapons. |
In the past, Israel has frequently threatened to attack Iran's nuclear plants. | In the past, Israel has frequently threatened to attack Iran's nuclear plants. |
An Israeli military spokesman told the BBC there was no comment or reaction to be given about such foreign reports. | |
Natanz is Iran's main uranium enrichment site, and contains more than 16,000 centrifuges. | |
The statement from the Revolutionary Guards said the drone was on course to fly over the nuclear facility at Natanz. | |
If so, the fact that the drone managed to get so close raises questions about Iran's detection capabilities, says BBC Persian's Rana Rahimpour. |