Iran's Army air defense destroys US MQ-9 drone over Qeshm

Iran's Army Air Defense Force announced that it struck and destroyed a US MQ-9 drone in the skies above Qeshm Island, according to Mehr News Agency. The force said it used advanced systems operating within the country's unified air defense network to hit the aircraft.

The announcement follows an earlier statement by the Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC), which said another US drone, an MQ-1 reconnaissance-combat aircraft, was intercepted and destroyed by a new advanced air defense system in the southern skies over Qeshm Island. Both incidents were reported over the same southern area.

The reports did not specify the exact date or time of the engagements, the number of drones involved beyond those named, or whether there were casualties or damage on the ground. No further details on the type of air defense systems used were provided.

Qeshm Island lies in the Strait of Hormuz area off Iran's southern coast, a region that has seen repeated incidents involving unmanned aircraft in recent years. Iranian military officials have previously described the country's air defense network as integrated across Army and IRGC units.

Mehr News Agency reported the Army Air Defense Force's statement on the MQ-9 drone, and the earlier IRGC announcement on the MQ-1 drone.