IRGC says it downed US MQ-9 drone over Qeshm Island

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said its Aerospace Force intercepted and destroyed a US-made MQ-9 drone over Qeshm Island early on Wednesday. In a statement carried by Mehr News, the IRGC described the aircraft as the 52nd MQ-9 belonging to the US military to be brought down, saying it was targeted by an advanced air defense system operating under the country's integrated air defense network.

The IRGC said the interception took place over Qeshm Island, a strategic location near the Strait of Hormuz at the entrance to the Persian Gulf. It described the operation as a precise and timely move aimed at defending what it called the country's territorial integrity and vital interests.

According to the statement, hundreds of what it described as invading drones were shot down by Iran's air defense systems during a conflict it referred to as the "Ramadan War," imposed by the United States against Iran. The IRGC listed the types of drones it said were downed as including the "Lucas," "Hermes," MQ-1 and MQ-9 models. The statement did not provide dates or locations for those earlier incidents.

The announcement follows a separate IRGC statement a few days earlier in which its Public Relations Department said a US Navy Unmanned Surface Vessel (USV) had been destroyed at the entrance to the strategic Strait of Hormuz. The IRGC presented both operations as part of its efforts to defend the country's borders and interests.

The report did not include any response from US officials, and no independent confirmation of the drone interception was provided in the Mehr News account. The IRGC's claims could not be immediately verified.

Qeshm Island sits near the Strait of Hormuz, a chokepoint through which a significant share of global oil shipments passes. Incidents involving US and Iranian forces in the area have previously raised tensions in the region.

According to Mehr News, the IRGC Aerospace Force carried out the interception using an advanced, modern air defense system under the complete control of the country's integrated air defense network. The report added that the IRGC characterized the operation as a precise, intelligent and timely action taken to defend Iran's territorial integrity and vital interests.