Pentagon Refutes Iranian ‘Mothership’ Link to Mysterious New Jersey Drone Sightings

The Pentagon has stated that a series of unexplained drone observations in the United States are not attributable to an Iranian “mothership” positioned off the East Coast. Numerous drones have been observed throughout New Jersey over recent weeks, with sightings occurring near sensitive military sites within the state and in proximity to President-elect Donald Trump’s golf course in Bedminster. US Congressman Jeff Van Drew asserted that he had received information from “high sources” indicating a connection between the aerial objects and Iran. The New Jersey Republican informed Fox News that these drones originated from an Iranian “mothership” in the Atlantic. Van Drew stated on Wednesday, “That mothership… is off the East Coast of the United States of America. They’ve launched drones into everything that we can see or hear.” He further emphasized, “These are from high sources. I don’t say this lightly.” He also suggested that the drones ought to be “shot down”. However, Sabrina Singh, deputy Pentagon press secretary, unequivocally dismissed these assertions. During a briefing on Wednesday, she declared: “There is no truth to that. “There is no Iranian ship off the coast of the United States, and there’s no so-called mothership launching drones towards the United States.” Ms Singh further noted that the Pentagon’s preliminary evaluation indicates that “these are not drones coming from a foreign entity or adversary”. The subsequent day, Van Drew addressed the Pentagon’s statements in an interview on Fox, asserting that “we aren’t being told the truth”. He additionally accused the Pentagon of “dealing with the American public like we’re stupid.” According to the Associates Press news agency, Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal, another New Jersey legislator, advocated for the drones to be shot down “if necessary”. He commented, “The lack of information is absolutely unacceptable.” On Thursday at the White House, national security spokesman John Kirby stated that “no evidence at this time that the reported drone sightings pose a national security or a public safety threat or have a foreign nexus.” Kirby explained that many of these observations are, in fact, legally reported manned aircraft. He noted that no drone sightings have been reported within restricted airspace to date. Kirby remarked, “While there is no known malicious activity occurring, the reported sightings there do, however, highlight a gap.” He concluded, “So we urge Congress to pass important legislation that will extend and expand existing counter-drone authorities so that we are better prepared to identify and mitigate any potential threats to airports or other critical infrastructure.” Separately, on Thursday in New York City, a police official informed CBS, the BBC’s US partner, that multiple drones were observed flying above a neighborhood in the Bronx, one of the city’s five boroughs. Responding officers witnessed the drones overhead, but they vanished shortly thereafter. The declarations from the Pentagon and White House follow weeks after publicly unexplained drone incursions were documented over US airbases in the UK. Governor Phil Murphy announced on Monday that dozens of sightings have been recorded over New Jersey since 18 November, including 49 reported sightings on Sunday alone. Certain flights have occurred near Picatinny Arsenal, a sensitive military research facility, and close to President-elect Donald Trump’s golf course in Bedminster. Murphy emphasized that these drones do not seem to present a public safety risk. The FBI has yet to provide an explanation for these sightings. Robert Wheeler Jr, assistant director of the FBI’s Critical Incident Response Group, informed lawmakers at a congressional hearing on Tuesday, “I don’t have an answer of who’s responsible,” adding, “But we’re actively investigating.” The US Federal Aviation Administration has implemented temporary flight restrictions banning drone operations over Bedminster and Picatinny, and has indicated it is probing the reports. In an official statement, the FAA additionally cautioned that drone operators engaging in unsafe or hazardous activities could incur penalties of up to $75,000 (£59,000) and have their drone pilot certificates rescinded. New Jersey assemblywoman Dawn Fantasia has rejected the Pentagon’s claims. She stated, “To state that there is no known or credible threat is incredibly misleading.” The Republican, who received a briefing from the Department of Homeland Security on Wednesday, observed that the drones seem to evade conventional detection methods like helicopters and radio. Fantasia described the drones as being up to 6ft (1.8m) in diameter, flying without lights, and “operate in a co-ordinated manner.” Although these enigmatic objects are not thought to be hobbyist drones, Fantasia noted that their exact nature remains unknown. In late November, the United States Air Force verified the sighting of unidentified drones over three US airbases in the UK: RAF Lakenheath and RAF Mildenhall in Suffolk, and RAF Feltwell in Norfolk. Defence sources informed the BBC that a “state actor” was suspected of being responsible for these incursions. An investigation is currently underway.