Dec. 4 (Bloomberg) -- Iran`s military shot down a U.S. reconnaissance drone in the country`s east, PressTV reported, citing an unidentified military official.

The unmanned RQ-170 Sentinel aircraft suffered minimal damage in the attack, the state-run Iranian television station said. The Lockheed Martin Corp RQ-170 is a stealth drone.

White House spokesman Tommy Vietor said he had no immediate comment on the report.

Tensions with Iran have increased since the U.S. called for new trade sanctions in the wake of a report by United Nations atomic energy inspectors. The Nov. 8 report drew on credible intelligence to argue that Iran`s efforts to build a nuclear bomb may be ongoing.

Iran, holder of the world`s second-largest oil reserves, sits on one side of the Strait of Hormuz in the Persian Gulf, through which an estimated 25 percent of the world`s oil traffic flows.