TEHRAN — Iran has claimed that its Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) successfully brought down and captured an American drone near Qeshm Island in the strategically important Strait of Hormuz.
According to Iran’s state-run IRNA news agency, the IRGC Aerospace Force used advanced electronic warfare technology to disable an MQM-170 unmanned aerial vehicle several hours before the announcement on Friday.
The report described the incident as the second occasion on which Iranian forces had captured this type of American drone in operational condition.
On Thursday, the IRGC Navy also claimed that it had taken control of another US MQM-170 drone during an electronic warfare operation in the western part of the Strait of Hormuz, bringing the aircraft down intact.
Iranian media reported that the drones were being used to monitor the country’s air defence installations along the Gulf coastline and the strategically significant waterway.
However, the US military rejected Iran’s earlier account of capturing an American drone. US Central Command spokesperson Captain Tim Hawkins dismissed the claim.
Separately, Iranian media reported that the IRGC had intercepted and destroyed an MQ-1 drone near the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday.
These developments come amid continuing tensions between Washington and Tehran over security and maritime activities in the Strait of Hormuz, a vital international shipping route through which substantial volumes of global energy supplies pass.
The confrontation follows US and Israeli military strikes against Iran on February 28, which triggered retaliatory actions by Tehran across the region.
Although diplomatic efforts subsequently led to the signing of a memorandum between Washington and Tehran in June, disagreements over maritime security and navigation through the strait have continued to strain relations between the two countries.
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