Tehran – The downing of a stealth US spy drone by Iran's Army has resoundingly dented the American intelligence machine, besides humiliating the US officials pursuing anti-Iran plans.

An Iranian author and Middle East expert wrote in an opinion piece published on Press TV on Thursday: “If truth be told, the downing of the spy drone has surely delivered a heavy blow to the intelligence apparatus of the CIA and rustled many feathers in Washington.”

He pointed out that the Iranian “electronic ambush” ensnared the aircraft -- while it was in violation of Iran's airspace -- “to the humiliation of US officials.”

The US RQ-170 Sentinel spy drone crossed Afghanistan's border with Iran recently, but was brought down with minimal damage by the Iranian Army's electronic warfare unit. The aircraft was flying over the northeastern Iranian city of Kashmar, some 250 kilometers (156 miles) away from the Afghan border.

On December 6, two US officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed that the drone had been part of a US Central Intelligence Agency reconnaissance mission, involving the US intelligence community stationed in Afghanistan.

The prolific Iranian author further explained that "it is manifest that Washington has recently ramped up its espionage activities in Iran."

Iran's Intelligence Ministry announced on May 21 that it had arrested a network of 30 individuals on charges of sabotage and spying for the US and that 42 CIA operatives had been identified in connection with the network.