AMERICANS have now openly conceded that one of their drones was in Iran’s custody and demanded the return of the sophisticated unmanned aerial vehicle. President Barack Obama told a news conference in Washington, more notably, in the presence of Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki: “We have asked for it back. We will see how the Iranians respond.”

The Iranians have responded. The head of Iran’s parliamentary national security committee, Pervez Sorouri, said his country would ‘reverse-engineer’ the drone and that it was in the final stages of unlocking the aircraft’s software secrets.

Also, responding to scepticism expressed by the US officials that Iran had the technology to perform such a hacking feat, Mr Sorouri also claimed that Iranian experts, using reverse engineering, would soon build an aircraft superior to the one used by Americans.

The US demand for the return of its spy-craft, which had violated Iran’s airspace, and the latter’s determined response made it abundantly clear that weaker nations should not be taken for granted.

Iran’s reaction could be viewed against the backdrop of a similar situation when a US drone was downed (by unknown shooters) in Pakistan’s territory a few months ago. Apprehending possible reverse engineering by Pakistan, indigenously or with the help of its friends, the US demanded handing over of the wreckage. The Pakistan government obliged within no time.

Keeping in view the Abbottabad episode as well, this shows how seriously the only nuclear state of the Muslim world reacts to the violation of its air space and breach of its sovereign status.

A PAKISTANI Islamabad