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. There was no immediate reaction to the reports from officials in Washington.

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.