Iran announced the shooting down of a foreign drone this morning in the port city of Bandar Mahshahr, bordering Iraq.

"The small-sized unmanned aircraft (UAV) shot down is definitely foreign owned. The wreck was recovered for inspection," said provincial governor Khuzestan Gholamreza Shariati.

Earlier, Iranian media reported that the drone had been shot down in the port city of Mahshahr but did not specify whether it was military or civilian equipment. Iran's al-Alam TV channel said people living around the port of Imam Khomeini heard the sound of rockets being launched in the morning.

The UAV shooting occurred after Iran announced uranium pumping into 1,044 centrifuges at the Fordow nuclear facility on November 6 to restore uranium enrichment, marking the fourth step in cutting commitments to the Plan. Joint Comprehensive Action 2015 (JCPOA). Under a 2015 agreement, Iran agreed to stop using centrifuges at Fordow to enrich uranium and for other purposes.

Iran shot down a US Navy RQ-4N "BAMS-D" on June 20 with accusations of violating airspace, but the US confirmed its position was 34 km off the Iranian coast and in international airspace. US President Donald Trump approved a plan to retaliate but withdrew at the last minute. Iranian officials vowed to respond aggressively in the event of a US attack.

Relations between Iran and the United States have deteriorated since Trump announced his withdrawal from the 2015 nuclear deal, and imposed sanctions on the Middle Eastern nation. The US has issued a number of sanctions against the construction industry, four materials used in military programs and nine officials close to Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in early November.

Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said he did not repeal the ban on talks with "US enemies" in his November 3 statement. "One way of stopping US political intervention is to ban all dialogue with this country. That means Iran will not succumb to pressure from the United States. Those who believe negotiating with the enemy will help resolve it." Our problem is 100% wrong, "Khamenei said.

Location of Bandar Mahshahr city of Iran (highlighted in red) on the map. Graphics: Google.