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Relations between the US and Iran worsened after Iranian military claimed it warned off two American drones that flew over waters where the middle eastern country was holding war games this week.

The unmanned aircraft entered 'two Iranian air defence identification zones... and changed course after air defence warned them it had decided to intercept them,' state media said.

The incident allegedly involved an MQ-9 Reaper drone and an RQ4+ Global Hawk near the Strait of Hormuz and happened during the Zulfiqar 1400 war games.

Relations between America and Iran have reached new lows after the middle eastern country accused the US of flying drones into waters where it was holding war games. Pictured: An explosion on the shore of the Oman sea as part of the games

The tensions spiralled when Iran alleged it had to shepherd away two US drones from its naval war games. Pictured: A US Air Force MQ-9 Reaper drone (left) and a a RQ4+ Global Hawk (right) (File images) 

An Iranian warship firing a Ghader missile during a military exercise on the shore of the Oman sea. Statements from Iranian military commanders have done little to calm tensions between the two nations

Iran alleges the incident with the two drones happened while they were holding war games in a show of strength in the Strait of Hormuz between Iran and the tip of UAE

The Commander of Iran Army Air Force, Brigadier General Sabahifard, said: 'It is our inalienable right to conduct our exercises in the Sea of Oman, the Persian Gulf and wherever we consider appropriate.

'The alien forces had better go and conduct an exercise in the Bay of Pigs if they want to hold one.'

MailOnline has contacted the US Department of Defence for comment about the incident. 

Periodic confrontations have taken place between Iran’s military and US forces in the Gulf since 2018 when former President Donald Trump exited the nuclear pact and reimposed harsh sanctions against Tehran.

Iranian officers in a dark green military truck fire a rocket missile from the back of their vehicle, causing fire to explode outwards

Iran has reacted by breaching the deal's limits on its nuclear programme.

During that time tankers with links to Saudi and Israel have been struck by mines and other explosives, while Saudi's largest oil refinery was also blown up in a bold strike using drones and missiles.

An American drone was even shot down by Tehran's forces, bringing the two sides close to all-out conflict. 

Iran has used its armed forces to seize a tanker once before - the British-flagged Stena Impero which was detained in the port of Banda Abbas in September 2019.

Tehran struck in a tit-for-tat action after the Royal Navy seized one of its vessels near Gibraltar. The two ships were ultimately freed after a weeks-long standoff. 

There have been indirect talks between Iran and President Joe Biden's administration to revive the pact, although these were put on hold after the election of Iran's hardline President Ebrahim Raisi in June.

They are set to resume in Vienna on November 29.

The Zulfiqar 1400 games lasted from Sunday to Tuesday and involved a parade of warships, submarines, aircraft, missile launches and troop movements.

Iranian soldiers deploying from an Iranian Navy Sikorsky SH-3 Sea King transport helicopter next to a hovercraft, as the country's rivalry with the US is threatening to boil over 

The incident allegedly involved a MQ-9 Reaper drone and a RQ4+ Global Hawk near the Strait of Hormuz and happened during the Zulfiqar 1400 war games

The set of exercises took place in an area of more than a million square kilometres (around 400,000 square miles) in the Sea of Oman and the Indian Ocean beyond.

Zulfiqar is named after the doubled-bladed sword of Alī ibn Abī Ṭālib, the prophet Muhammad's cousin and son-in-law.

Many weapons in the middle east have inscriptions on them that mention Zulfiqar and depictions of the sword are often on Muslim flags. 

The war games this week began just days after Iran's Revolutionary Guards said they thwarted a US attempt to seize a tanker carrying Iranian oil in the Sea of Oman.

Zulfiqar is named after the doubled-bladed sword of Alī ibn Abī Ṭālib, the prophet Muhammad's cousin and son-in-law

Many weapons in the middle east have inscriptions on them that mention Zulfiqar and depictions of the sword are often on Muslim flags

US defence officials rejected that account, saying the Iranians themselves had seized the tanker and taken it to Iranian waters. 

Washington said US warships and aircraft had only watched the operation.

It followed a series of attacks on ships in the sea lanes serving the Gulf, where a large portion of the world's oil is produced.

Iran was blamed for a July 29 drone strike on the tanker MT Mercer Street, which was run by a London-based firm but owned by Israeli shipping magnate Eyal Ofer.  

An unidentified former British serviceman, as well as a Romanian crew member, died late on Thursday night after the MV Mercer Street oil tanker was attacked by a so-called kamikaze drone, which is laden with explosives and detonates on impact with its target

Incredible images appear to show a huge crater on the Israeli-linked oil tanker after it was struck in a deadly drone attack which killed two people including a British Army veteran off the coast of Oman. 

Photographs allegedly of MV Mercer Street oil tanker show the damage inflicted on the vessel during the strike which the US, UK and Israel have blamed on Iran. 

One image shows a huge gaping hole in the top deck of the vessel while another shows the main mast, which appears to be blackened from a blast. Neither images could be independently verified. 

An unidentified former British serviceman as well as a Romanian crew member died late on Thursday night after the MV Mercer Street oil tanker was attacked by a so-called kamikaze drone, which is laden with explosives and detonates on impact with its target.   

The US blamed Iran for the attack and vowed an 'appropriate response' to the strike while the UK summoned the Iranian ambassador to the Foreign Office and warned Tehran to 'cease' their actions which risk international stability.          

Israel was quick to accuse Iran of being behind the attack, with Prime Minister Naftali Bennett claiming to have 'evidence' of Iranian complicity and vowing to 'send a message' to the ayatollahs.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said he was 'confident' the regime in Tehran had conducted the attack on the oil tanker, which is managed by London-based company Zodiac Maritime which is owned by prominent Israeli billionaire Eyal Ofer. 

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson told MailOnline, 'Iran should face up to the consequences of what they've done', while adding that it was 'clearly an unacceptable and outrageous attack on commercial shipping'. 

In response, Tehran said any move against the national security of Iran will 'face a tough and firm response', while adding that Washington and London will be 'directly responsible for its consequences'.  

This January 2, 2016 photo shows the Liberian-flagged oil tanker Mercer Street off Cape Town, South Africa

Damage purportedly to the Mercer Street oil tanker after the bridge of the vessel was struck by an explosive-laden kamikaze drone

The oil tanker linked to an Israeli billionaire reportedly came under attack off the coast of Oman in the Arabian Sea

Oil tanker Asphalt Princess (pictured) was thought to have been hijacked off the coast of the UAE by Iranian forces  

It was thought the vessel had been boarded by armed men with links to Tehran who began directing it towards the port of Jask, but the boarders then left the ship 

Meanwhile an oil tanker was thought to have been hijacked off the coast of the UAE by Iranian forces.

It was reported that nine armed men - thought to be in the employ of Tehran - had seized the ship and were diverting it to an Iranian port. 

After the men left tracking data showed the vessel - believed to be the Panama-flagged Asphalt Princess, located 60 miles from the port of Fujairah - was 'underway using engine' having previously shown it was 'stopped'.

It is not clear why the men left the vessel and Iran has denied involvement.