Iran Airs Footage of Captured U.S. Spy Drone

TEHRAN, Iran (The Blaze/AP) -- Iran's state TV has broadcast video of the purported stealth U.S. drone that Tehran says its forces downed earlier this week.

The more than two minutes of footage shows Iranian officials inspecting what state TV identifies as the high-tech RQ-170 Sentinel drone, which appeared to be intact.

Here's BBC's report including footage aired:

The chief of aerospace division of Iran's powerful Revolutionary Guards, Gen. Ami Ali Hajizadeh, says an electronic ambush by Iranian forces brought down the drone, which Business Insider notes would explain why the drone seems to be in good condition. We reported on Sunday that the Iranian state media said the drone was brought down because it violated Iranian airspace.

Hajizadeh said Thursday the aircraft was controlled by two stations in Afghanistan and the United States via satellite.

Fox News has more on the consequences of Iran possessing this drone and how its knowledge of U.S. technology could help it conceal things like a nuclear weapons program:

U.S. officials have acknowledged losing the drone, and former U.N. Ambassador John Bolton said on Fox News the capturing of the drone was a "setback". He says that the military considered destroying the drone even sending in a Navy SEALS team, but decided not to.

Iranian state radio has said the unmanned aircraft was detected over the eastern town of Kashmar, some 140 miles (225 kilometers) from the border with Afghanistan.