Iran says it has successfully tested its version of a U.S. drone.
Iranian officials said Monday the design is based on the RQ-170 Sentinel, a U.S. drone seized in 2011 when it traveled into Iranian airspace from Afghanistan. Tehran pledged to release a video of the test flight.
Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei posed for a picture with the drone and expressed satisfaction at the success of the test flight. The semi-official Tasnim News Agency quoted him as saying, "Today is a very sweet and unforgettable day for me."
Iran says it has captured several U.S. drones and is currently copying the Boeing-designed ScanEagle.
Iran has accused the U.S. of using drones to spy on the Iranian nuclear program. Washington said the Sentinel drone crashed because of a technical glitch.