Unmanned drone (illustration)
Unmanned drone (illustration)Reuters

Iran on Friday called on the United Nations’ atomic agency to condemn Israel over the drone which Iran claims it recently brought down above the Natanz uranium enrichment site.

According to Reuters, Iran said that Israel committed an "act of aggression" by sending the drone.

Iran's envoy to the Vienna-based International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) accused Israel of a "flagrant violation" of the Islamic Republic's territorial integrity "in contravention of the principles of international law and provision of the United Nations charter."

Iran expects the UN agency "to condemn this act of aggression," Ambassador Reza Najafi added in a letter to Director-General Yukiya Amano which was posted on the IAEA's website and quoted by Reuters.

The letter referred to the "inviolability of peaceful nuclear activities and installations."

The Iranian Revolutionary Guards' Air Force claimed that the drone was an Israeli-made "Hermes" drone with a maximum flight range of 1,600 km (994 miles) and a 800-km (500 mile) combat radius.

Israeli officials declined to comment on the allegation by its arch foe, which the Jewish state and the United States suspect of seeking to develop the capability to assemble nuclear weapons.

Iran’s demand comes as it negotiates with six world powers in an attempt to end the standoff over Tehran's nuclear program.

Iran and the powers failed to meet a July 20 target date for an agreement and have extended the deadline to November 24.

IAEA spokeswoman Gill Tudor said the UN agency had circulated Najafi's letter regarding the drone to all member states as requested by Iran, and that it was "studying" its content.

It was unclear whether Iran would raise the issue also at the quarterly meeting of the IAEA's board, where Iran's nuclear program as usual will be one of the main points on the agenda.

(Arutz Sheva’s North American desk is keeping you updated until the start of Shabbat in New York. The time posted automatically on all Arutz Sheva articles, however, is Israeli time.)