TEHRAN, Iran – Web Desk: The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has claimed that its air defense systems shot down an advanced US MQ-9 Reaper drone over the southern province of Bushehr on Wednesday . IRGC spokesman Brigadier General Hossein Mohebi stated that the drone was intercepted and destroyed over the city of Khormoj in Bushehr province following what he described as “aerial aggression” by US forces .
The announcement came hours after the US military confirmed it had conducted a new round of retaliatory strikes against Iran, hitting more than 80 targets across the country in response to Tehran’s latest attacks on commercial vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz . US Central Command (CENTCOM) said the strikes targeted Iranian air defense systems, coastal surveillance networks, anti-ship cruise missiles, and over 60 small boats belonging to the IRGC .
Separately, the IRGC claimed it had launched a joint missile and drone operation targeting 85 key US military facilities, including the US Fifth Fleet headquarters in Bahrain and the Ali Al Salem Air Base in Kuwait . Air raid sirens were reported in both countries as local air defenses responded to threats .
There was no immediate confirmation or response from US authorities regarding the Iranian claim of the downed drone . The incident remains unverified by independent sources.
