About PDF File Download Behavior in iPad Safari

I am developing a feature that allows users to download PDF files on iPad.

However, in Safari on iPad, the PDF file opens in a preview window instead of being downloaded automatically.

On Chrome or Safari on macOS, the same code triggers a proper file download as expected.

Does Safari on iPad intentionally open PDF files in a preview window instead of downloading them, as part of Apple's policy?

If so, could you please provide documentation or an explanation for this behavior?

Additionally, I noticed that when using <a href="..." target="_blank">, the PDF opens in a new tab and can be downloaded,

but when using <a href="..." target="_self">, it directly opens in preview mode without downloading.

Does Safari handle these two cases differently on iPad?

Thank you for your assistance.