Tehran claims that its forces shot down a US drone that was engaged in spying operating in Iran's airspace, while Washington denies breaching it.

Axar.az reports citing Sputnik.

Iran's state-run IRIB news agency has published what it calls the first photos of the remains of the US surveillance drone downed by Iranian military on Thursday.

The images show what appears to be the skin of the American spy drone RQ-4 Global Hawk. The US Central Command confirmed on Thursday that this model of the drone was destroyed by Iranians, claiming that it was flying in international airspace over the Strait of Hormuz.

According to Tehran's account, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps' aerospace force downed the aircraft with a surface-to-air missile in the early hours of Thursday when it was flying in stealth mode over the southern province of Hormozgan.

Amirali Hajizadeh, the head of the force, said on Iranian TV the debris was proof that the drone had been over Iranian territorial waters when it was brought down.

The Revolutionary Guards commander-in-chief stated that the drone was downed to send a "clear message to America" that Tehran would "react strongly" to any aggression.

Iran went on to file a compaint with the United Nations, accusing the US of provocation.