TEHRAN — Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said on Wednesday that its air defence systems shot down a US MQ-9 Reaper drone over Khormoj in Bushehr province, following a new round of military exchanges between Iran and the United States.
According to Iranian state media, including Press TV, the drone was intercepted after approaching the southern province. Earlier Iranian reports also claimed that US drones were brought down over Isfahan and Jam County during the same period. The United States has not confirmed the claims, and US officials had not commented at the time of writing.
The announcement came hours after the US Central Command (CENTCOM) said American forces carried out precision strikes against more than 80 Iranian military targets. According to CENTCOM, the operation targeted air defence systems, command-and-control facilities, coastal surveillance radars, surface-to-air missile sites, and more than 60 IRGC fast attack boats in response to recent Iranian attacks on commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran also announced retaliatory missile and drone strikes against around 85 US military sites across the region. Iran's semi-official Tasnim news agency reported that the targets included Salman Port, the US Navy's Fifth Fleet headquarters in Bahrain, and Ali Al-Salem Air Base in Kuwait. Following the reported attacks, authorities in Bahrain and Kuwait activated air raid sirens and issued public safety advisories.
The latest developments mark a further escalation in tensions between the two countries over security in the Strait of Hormuz, a strategically important shipping route for global oil trade.
No independent verification has confirmed Iran's claim of downing the US MQ-9 Reaper drone or the reported scale of the retaliatory strikes. The situation remains fluid as both sides continue to issue statements.
Source: economictimes
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