TEHRAN, Iran: Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said Monday it shot down a US MQ-9 Reaper drone over the Strait of Hormuz, claiming the aircraft crashed into the Persian Gulf.
The IRGC said its air-defence units struck the long-endurance unmanned aircraft with missile fire. Iran’s Tasnim News Agency published the statement at 11:03 a.m. Tehran time.
US officials had not publicly confirmed the MQ-9 loss in reporting available at publication time. Independent reporting therefore continued to describe the incident as an Iranian claim.
The reported shootdown came hours after renewed US-Iran fighting around the Strait of Hormuz. US forces struck two IRGC launchers on Larak Island on Sunday.
CENTCOM said Iranian forces had been preparing rockets carrying sea mines toward the strategic waterway. Iran then launched missiles toward US military positions in Jordan.
Read: US-UAE-Iran Tensions Rise After Reported Missile Launches
Jordan said its air defences intercepted eight missiles. The United Arab Emirates also said it intercepted an Iranian drone over its territorial waters on Monday.
The MQ-9, built by General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, carries sensors for intelligence and surveillance missions and can also conduct precision strikes.
The US Air Force lists a range of about 1,150 miles for the standard aircraft. Drone losses have already become a significant issue during the Iran conflict.
Read: US-Iran Fighting Flares as Iran Strikes Bases in Jordan
The Washington Post reported on August 13 that the US military had lost at least 45 MQ-9s, about 25% of its roughly 185-aircraft prewar military fleet. The Pentagon declined to comment on that reported total.
Iran’s IRGC said it shot down a US MQ-9 Reaper drone with an air-defence missile over the Strait of Hormuz on August 31, but Washington had not confirmed the loss.
