An Iranian military commander boasted on Monday that Iran had gained access to all the encrypted information held aboard the US remotely piloted aircraft that Iran recovered on its territory last December, reported ABC News. “We know each and every step it has taken,” said Iranian Brig. Gen. Amir Ali Hajizadeh, commander of the aerospace division of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard, according to the Dec. 10 report, which cites Iranian news services. He also said data taken from the aircraft—believed to be a Lockheed Martin-built RQ-170 Sentinel—revealed that the information-gathering platform had not been spying on Iranian nuclear facilities. At the time of the RPA’s loss, American officials said it had been operating over Afghanistan when operators lost control. The Iranians claimed that they brought down the aircraft with electronic warfare and jamming, something the Pentagon has disputed.
President Donald Trump signed legislation reopening the federal government late Nov. 12, ending the longest shutdown in U.S. history. The move sets the stage for tens of thousands of defense civilians to return to work and guarantees troops will be paid in a few days’ time.
