US admits to 'intercepting' Iranian passenger plane

The US Central Command has claimed responsibility for engaging with an Iranian passenger plane in Syrian airspace. Iranian officials have threatened to take legal and political action over the incident.

US Central Command on Thursday confirmed that one of its warplanes had intercepted an Iranian passenger plane in Syrian airspace.

The F-15 "conducted a standard visual inspection of a Mahan Air passenger airliner at a safe distance of about 1,000 meters (3,280 feet) from the airliner this evening," said Captain Bill Urban, a senior spokesman for US Central Command.

"The professional intercept was conducted in accordance with international standards," Urban added.

During the interaction, the pilot of the Iranian passenger plane conducted a safety maneuver and dropped the aircraft several hundred feet before stabilizing its altitude. As a result of the maneuver, several passengers received minor injuries, according to Iranian state media.

US officials said the F-15 had maintained about 1,000 meters distance between the aircraft.

"The visual inspection occurred to ensure the safety of coalition personnel at At Tanf garrison," Urban said, referring to a strategic US ground presence in Syria. "Once the F-15 pilot identified the aircraft as a Mahan Air passenger plane, the F-15 safely opened distance from the aircraft."

Iran pursues probe

Lebanese officials said the Iranian aircraft landed in Beirut.

"All the passengers are well, but some suffered from minor wounds," Beirut airport chief Fadi al-Hassan told Lebanese broadcaster New Television. "Mot suffered from shock and fear."

Iranian authorities said they would investigate the incident to determine. The Iranian Foreign Ministry said it had lodged complaints with the UN secretary-general's office and the Swiss embassy in Tehran, which represents US diplomatic services in Iran.

"The details of the incident are still being investigated and afterward we will initiate political and legal steps," said Foreign Ministry spokesman Abbas Mussawi.

Later Friday, Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said the US had risked a disaster in skies.

"U.S. ... harasses a scheduled civil airliner - endangering innocent civilian passengers - ostensibly to protect its occupation forces," he said on Twitter. "These outlaws must be stopped before disaster."