Federal officials on Wednesday denied claims that a mysterious drone spotted in New Jersey came from an Iranian “mothership.”
Rep. Jeff Van Drew (R.N.J.) said on Fox News Wednesday that unidentified flying objects over the state were coming from an Iranian vessel off the East Coast, but the Pentagon has flatly denied that claim. I denied it.
Drew, a member of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, said he had heard from “high-level officials” that Iran was in control of the mysterious object.
“Iran probably launched a mothership with these drones on it about a month ago, and that mothership is off the east coast of the United States. We launched a drone at ,” Drew said. “Again, these are from high sources. I don’t say this lightly.”
He added that drones, whether they come from Iran or people who fly drones as a hobby, should be “shot down.”
Pentagon spokeswoman Sabrina Singh strongly denied Drew’s comments Wednesday.
“There are no Iranian ships off the coast of the United States, and there are no so-called motherships launching drones toward the United States,” she said.
Singh added that there is no evidence that the mysterious flying object is associated with a foreign presence or is the work of an adversary. Singh said U.S. officials will continue to monitor developments.
Also Wednesday, Monmouth County Sheriff Sean Golden said in a statement that New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy should declare a state of emergency and issue an executive order banning the use of drones for recreational purposes at night. .
“Residents are becoming increasingly wary of a surge in drone activity after dark, raising concerns for public safety and security,” Golden said. “We cannot wait any longer. Governors must act now and the Air National Guard must step in to protect our communities.Furthermore, we urge Congress that state police and sheriff’s offices across the country We are calling for immediate passage of federal legislation that will allow us to address the problem head-on.”
