The reported incident adds to tensions between Tehran and Washington as military activity continues around the Strait of Hormuz.
TEHRAN: Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has said its forces shot down a US MQ-9 Reaper drone near the Strait of Hormuz, marking another military incident amid heightened tensions between Tehran and Washington.
The Iranian Revolutionary Guards said the drone was brought down overnight in the skies east of the strategically important waterway. The reported incident comes as military activity continues around the Strait of Hormuz, a key route for international oil and commercial shipping.
The development coincided with US strikes on Iran’s Qeshm Island. A US official described those operations as defensive, saying they targeted surface-to-air missile systems used against American assets.
The latest military developments have added pressure to already fragile diplomatic efforts aimed at preventing a renewed escalation between the two countries.
Iranian officials have maintained that Tehran will respond forcefully to further US attacks. The country has also linked the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz to the fulfilment of its conditions in negotiations with Washington.
Meanwhile, diplomatic contacts are continuing through regional mediators, including Qatar. However, a senior Iranian official has indicated that the two sides remain far from reaching an agreement to end the conflict.
The Strait of Hormuz remains particularly sensitive because of its importance to global energy supplies and maritime trade. Any further military confrontation in the area could increase concerns over shipping security and regional stability.
The US and Iranian sides have not publicly provided matching details about the reported drone incident, including independent confirmation of the aircraft’s destruction.
