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U.S. says business jet forced down in Iran
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NEW: U.S. says Iranian officials forced down business jet
NEW: There were no Americans on board the aircraft, U.S. says
Iranians say they forced down plane after it violated Iranian airspace
Iran had claimed aircraft was a U.S. "Falcon fighter"
BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- The U.S. military coalition in Iraq confirmed Tuesday that a business jet -- not a U.S. military aircraft -- was recently forced down in Iran due to an airspace violation.
"The airplane is now being confirmed as a light transport plane with no Americans onboard," Multi-National Forces-Iraq said in a statement issued Tuesday. "From what we have been seeing, it was a Falcon business jet. We have accounted for all our aircraft and none are missing."
The U.S. coalition in Iraq had no information on who owned the aircraft, stressing that it was not a registered American plane.
Iran's semi-official Fars News Agency initially reported that five American military officials were on board, but other Iranian media reports -- quoting Iranian officials -- said the aircraft was Hungarian and no Americans were on the plane.
Fars reported that the "Falcon fighter" -- which it said was also carrying three civilians -- entered Iranian airspace on Monday at a low altitude from Turkey to avoid radar detection, despite repeated warnings by the Islamic Republic Air Force.
U.S. National Security Council Spokesman Gordon Johndroe said there is no indication that the reports are accurate.
"We're looking into the various and conflicting reports coming from the Iranian 'news' agencies, but do not have any information at this time that would lead us to believe they are correct," he said.
Fars said the aircraft, which was en route to Afghanistan, was forced to land at an Iranian airport that it did not name. Fars reported that the eight people aboard were released "after daylong interrogations" which revealed that the aircraft had "unintentionally" violated Iran's airspace.
Fars said the aircraft was allowed to continue on to Afghanistan on Tuesday.
Two top U.S. military officials told CNN's Barbara Starr that no U.S. military aircraft has been forced down. The U.S. military has an F-16 Fighting Falcon, but it is a one-seater jet fighter aircraft.
CNN's Saad Abedine in Baghdad, Iraq and Shirzad Bozorgmehr in Tehran contributed to this report.
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