Ayat. Kashani: US “rude” in urging return of its RQ-170

Substitute Friday prayers leader of Tehran, Ayatollah Mohammad Emami Kashani, says the US call on Iran to return its spy drone, the RQ-170, reveals its rude and arrogant nature. Delivering his second Friday prayers sermon here at Tehran University campus, Ayatollah Kashani said violation of Iran’s air space and territorial integrity by the US spy drone is “absolute crime” based on the article two, clause four, of the UN charter. “The article says any sort of threat and use of force against independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of countries is condemned and one of the clear stances of the issue, as has been ratified in 1974, is entering air space of a country by plane or through land,” he added. Referring to Washington’s contradictory and diversified claims on downing of the US drone, Ayatollah Kashani said the US officials should apologize and admit mistakes if claiming the plane was downed or entered the Islamic Republic of Iran’s air space erroneously. He referreed to capabilities of the unmanned aircraft for spying, including its ability to receive such data as smell, sound, phone conversations and simultaneous sending of the data to the US, saying no one would argue criminal nature of entry into another country’s air space. In the case of the drone, it should be said both espionage has been at work and the crime is absolute one in nature, he added.