Voice of America, 7 October 2008

A senior Iranian official says a plane forced down in Iran was a Hungarian aid plane with no Americans on board.

The official denied an earlier report by an Iranian news agency that Iranian fighter planes forced a U.S. plane to land when it strayed into Iranian airspace. The official also said the incident took place September 30 - not on Sunday and Monday, as had earlier been reported.

The Fars news agency said the plane was carrying five U.S. military officials and three civilians on a trip to Afghanistan. It said they were questioned and allowed to go on their way.

The White House and the Pentagon had both dismissed that report.