Pentagon denies claim Iran is launching drones from 'mother ship' off US coast

The Pentagon on Wednesday denied a Rebublican congressman's claims that Iran is launching covert drones from a “mother ship” off the US east coast after unidentified items were seen in the skies over New Jersey and New York.

Photos, videos and sightings of the drones were reported in northern and central New Jersey, as well as New York's Staten Island, since the last week of November.

Representative Jeff Van Drew of New Jersey told Fox News that “very high sources, very qualified sources, very responsible sources” told him drones were being launched off what he called an Iranian mother ship near the US.

“Iran launched a mother ship probably about a month ago that contains these drones,” he said. “That mother ship is off the East coast of the United States of America.”

Shortly after Mr Van Drew's TV appearance on Wednesday, the Pentagon and a regional US Defence Department contingent denied the claims.

“We have no evidence that these activities are coming from a foreign entity or the work of an adversary. We’re going to continue to monitor what is happening,” Pentagon spokeswomen Sabrina Singh said at a media briefing.

“There is not any truth to that. There is no Iranian ship off the coast of the United States, and there’s no so-called mother ship launching drones towards the United States.”

New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy said last week that his state is investigating the drone sightings and he has been in touch with the federal government.

Mr Murphy reported dozens of sightings by residents, but warned some reports may be miscounted or double-counted and that some sightings were planes flying at night.

The FBI is investigating the “unexplained drone activity over … communities and military installations” and the Federal Aviation Administration has issued flight restrictions, Democratic Senator Cory Booker said in a publicly published letter addressed to White House cabinet members and the FBI director.

Mr Murphy and Mr Booker say there is no known threat to public safety, but Mr Booker spoke of “a growing sense of uncertainty and urgency across the state”.

US Northern Command said it is “aware and monitoring the reports” of drone flights near military installations, and that it has “not been requested to assist with these events”.

The country, under President Joe Biden's orders, shot down a suspected Chinese spy balloon after it crossed the continental US in 2023.

The Pentagon also has a task force set up to investigate unidentified flying objects with regular updates for the public.

Thomas Watkins contributed to this report from the Pentagon