WORLD> Middle East
Iran denies US plane violated its airspace
(Agencies)
Updated: 2008-10-07 23:02

TEHRAN - A senior Iranian official on Tuesday denied an Iranian news agency report that a U.S. military plane had violated the country's airspace, saying both the aircraft and the people on board were Hungarian.

"The Fars report was not accurate. It was a Hungarian aid plane. No American was on board. The incident happened on September 30," said the official, who declined to be named.

The Pentagon also denied on Tuesday the Iranian news report that a U.S. military aircraft had violated Iranian territory and had been forced to land in Iran, saying all American planes were accounted for.

"All aircraft in the region are accounted for and we have no reports of any aircraft landing in Iran," Lt. Col. Patrick Ryder told reporters.

"I haven't heard anything like that," said Pentagon Bryan Whitman.

The Iran news agency reported earlier that a U.S. warplane had violated Iranian territory and had been forced to land in Iran.