WASHINGTON —
The Pentagon on Wednesday flatly dismissed claims by a U.S. lawmaker that Iran is likely to be launching drones over New Jersey from a “mothership” off the East Coast.
“There isn’t any fact to that,” mentioned Pentagon spokesperson Sabrina Singh. “There isn’t any Iranian ship off the coast of the USA and there isn’t any so-called ‘mothership’ launching drones in the direction of the USA.”
Republican Congressman Jeff Van Drew, whose district in New Jersey contains Atlantic Metropolis, mentioned he had uncovered what seemed to be an Iranian plot.
“What we’ve uncovered is alarming — drones flying in from the path of the ocean, presumably linked to a lacking Iranian mothership,” he mentioned on social media platform X.
The lawmaker additionally made the claims on Fox Information.
The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration mentioned it started receiving reviews of drone exercise close to Morris County, New Jersey, on Nov. 18. The FAA has barred drone flights over Picatinny Arsenal Navy Base and Trump Nationwide Golf Membership Bedminster.
Final week, the FBI and New Jersey State Police requested the general public to report any info associated to the current sightings of potential drones flying in a number of areas alongside the Raritan River.
“Witnesses have noticed the cluster of what look to be drones and a potential fixed-wing plane. We now have reviews from the general public and regulation enforcement courting again a number of weeks,” the FBI mentioned.
The Pentagon mentioned an preliminary evaluation had proven the drones weren’t from one other nation and that the U.S. army had not shot them down as a result of they didn’t pose a menace to any army installations.
“We now have no proof that these actions are coming from a international entity or the work of an adversary,” Singh mentioned.
“We will proceed to observe what is going on. However, you realize, at no level had been our installations threatened when this exercise was occurring.”
Nonetheless, the newest drone sightings are a reminder of the rising concern a couple of proliferation of drone know-how and the potential safety concerns, provided that drones can carry surveillance know-how and even explosives.
At a press convention, Home of Representatives Democratic Chief Hakeem Jeffries was requested concerning the lack of knowledge concerning the drones.
“We want a higher diploma of transparency from regulation enforcement authorities, and we are going to guarantee that occurs within the days and weeks to return,” Jeffries mentioned.