Iranian media report that Iran's armed forces have shot down an unmanned U.S. spy plane after it allegedly violated Iranian air space.

The reports quote military officials who say the spy drone was not badly damaged and is in the Iranian military's possession.

Iranian media say Iran's military shot down the U.S. drone in the country's east, but the reports do not say when the incident occurred.

NATO says operators lost control of an unmanned reconnaissance aircraft flying a mission over western Afghanistan last week. The alliance on Sunday said the aircraft referred to by Iran could be that lost drone because NATO officials have yet to determine its status.

In July, Iranian state-run media quoted an Iranian lawmaker who claimed that Iran shot down a U.S. spy aircraft near the Fordu nuclear site. Iran's Revolutionary Guard later refuted the report.

The U.S. and its Western allies have been in dispute with Iran over its controversial nuclear program. Western nations say Iran is trying to obtain the capability to make nuclear weapons, while Iran says its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes.

Last month, a report by the U.N. atomic energy watchdog agency strongly suggested that Iran is researching nuclear weapons.