Iran To Return Spy Drone to Obama... As Fake Pink Plastic Toy

Iran has decided to honor U.S. President Barack Obama's request, and return a spy drone that crashed into the country last year.

But rather than sending back the RQ-170 Sentinel drone, worth millions of dollars, an Iranian toy company says it plans to send Obama fake plastic version of it... and the shade is likely to be bright pink.

Sentinel Drone Downed in Iran

Toy shelves in Tehran, Iran have already been prepping for the creation of miniature toy drones for a few weeks now, to serve as a humiliating reminder of the intelligence coup when the country brought down the drone in 2011.

An Iranian engineer working on unlocking the top-secret batwing craft told the Christian Science Monitor that electronic warfare specialists had spoofed the drone's GPS navigation system, causing it to land in Iran during a CIA spy mission.

The U.S. has denied that the drone came down for any reason other than a technical malfunction. The government also stated that the spy craft was operating over eastern Afghanistan when it landed, not in Iran.

'We plan to send a full squadron.'

To commemorate the event, however, the Aaye Art Group, a non-profit, non-government group that makes novelty items, has decided to make toy versions of the downed drone.

It has designed that toys in a variety of flashy colors and at 1/80 scale, selling them for the equivalent of $4 U.S.

And to honor President Obama's demand in December, the toy maker has decided to send him some of the miniature models.

He said he wanted it back, and we will send him one, said Reza Kioumarsi, head of cultural production at the Aaye Art group.

We plan to send a full squadron of 12 to the White House for President Obama as a present.

The fake models sit on top of a stand engraved with the words of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, who triggered Iran's 1979 Islamic Revolution: We will trample America under our feet.

Waiting For An Apology

In the past, Iran's foreign ministry have been dismissive of Obama's request that the Islamic Republic return the drone to the U.S.

It seems he has forgotten that Iran's airspace was violated, spying operations were undertaken, international laws were violated and that Iran's internal affairs were interfered with, ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparat said, according to Iran's Fars news agency.

Instead of an official apology and admitting to this violation, they are making this request.

The U.S. fears that Iran will let Russia and China inspect the Sentinel drone in order to identify and replicate its advanced technology.

This is probably not the response the Obama administration was looking for.

Neither is the rumor reported by the CS Monitor and the Telegraph, unsubstantiated so far, that the fake drones Iran will be sending will all come in a vibrant shade of pink.

'As a joke I will probably buy one.'

But if Iranian officials and the Aaye Art Group are laughing, some of Iran's citizens definitely aren't.

What is annoying are these toy shop tactics, when we have such serious issues to confront, said a Tehran resident who asked not to be identified.

She said rumblings of war between Iran, Israel and the U.S. and mounting sanctions were ratcheting up tensions in the country.

Our savings have lost 40 percent of their value in a season, and they are making toy drones! she said of the fake miniatures.

As a joke I will probably buy one, she added. But if she does, it won't be for the reasons Aaye Art Group is promoting.

It would take the sting out of reality, she finished. As a kind of relief.