BV,
It stems from the following incident back in 2012. It is the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Air Force that created the tension and caused the US to provide cover for such UAVs. Yes they have the perfect right to intercept and monitor but they don't have the right to interfere with them. The hot heads in the Revolutionary Guards units are always on the look out for the next propaganda victory. Why give them free reign to notch up their next victory?
Iranian jets fire on U.S. drone
By Barbara Starr
Two Iranian Su-25 fighter jets fired on an unarmed U.S. Air Force Predator drone in the Persian Gulf on November 1, the Pentagon disclosed on Thursday.
The incident, reported first by CNN, raised fresh concerns within the Obama administration about Iranian military aggression in crucial Gulf oil shipping lanes.
The drone was on routine maritime surveillance in international airspace east of Kuwait, 16 miles off the coast of Iran, U.S. officials said. The Predator was not hit.
FIRST ON CNN: Iranian jets fire on U.S. drone ? CNN Security Clearance - CNN.com Blogs