Iran claims US MQ-9 drone shot down

Iran claims US MQ-9 drone shot down

ISLAMABAD: Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has claimed that its air defence forces shot down a US MQ-9 Reaper drone over the Strait of Hormuz, escalating tensions between Tehran and Washington amid a series of recent military exchanges.

According to the IRGC, Iranian air defence missile systems intercepted the American unmanned aircraft while it was operating over the strategic waterway. Iranian forces said the drone crashed into the Gulf waters following the engagement.

The claim comes after the United States carried out an airstrike on Iran’s Lark Island, located near the Strait of Hormuz. A US official said American forces targeted Iranian missile launchers on the island on Sunday.

The US official alleged that members of the IRGC were preparing to launch rockets from Lark Island and were also involved in preparations linked to the deployment of naval mines in the Strait of Hormuz. The strategic waterway serves as a major route for global energy shipments, making any military confrontation in the area a matter of international concern.

Iran strongly condemned the US strike. An IRGC spokesperson warned that Washington would have to pay a heavy price for attacking Lark Island, both economically and militarily.

Tensions intensified further when Iranian forces launched a drone attack on the Al Minhad Air Base in the United Arab Emirates, according to Iranian military officials.

Iranian authorities said the strike targeted US military personnel and helicopters stationed at the base. They described the operation as retaliation for the deaths of IRGC personnel and Iranian civilians during the US attack on Lark Island.

The latest developments mark another escalation in the confrontation between Iran and the United States, with both sides accusing the other of taking provocative military action.

The Strait of Hormuz remains particularly sensitive because of its strategic importance to international energy markets. Any prolonged military confrontation around the waterway could disrupt shipping and increase concerns over the security of oil and gas supplies.

Neither side’s claims regarding the reported drone shootdown and the extent of damage from the recent attacks have been independently verified.