TEHRAN, — Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy has claimed that its electronic warfare unit took control of a US-made MQM-170 Outlaw reconnaissance and decoy drone over the western part of the Strait of Hormuz and landed it intact.
According to an official statement carried by Iranian state media, including IRNA and Mehr News Agency, the IRGC detected and identified the uncrewed aerial vehicle (UAV) during an electronic warfare operation. Iranian forces said they seized control of the drone’s guidance and control systems and brought it down without using anti-aircraft fire.
However, US Central Command (CENTCOM) has denied the claim, and there has been no independent confirmation of the reported capture.
Iran Claims Drone Was Mapping Air Defense Networks
The IRGC said its military specialists had begun examining the data recovered from the aircraft. According to Iranian officials, the drone was conducting a mission to identify and map Iranian air defense networks along the Persian Gulf coastline and around the Strait of Hormuz.
The recovered flight data reportedly indicates that the drone took off from a country on the southern coast of the Persian Gulf. Iranian officials have not identified the country.
Iranian forces said the intact recovery would allow technicians to examine the aircraft’s equipment, sensor capabilities, stored data and operational methods used in the region.
Iran hijacks 'American spy drone' over Strait of Hormuz and lands it intact The IRGC says it detected an MQM-170 reconnaissance drone over the western part of the strait, seized control of its guidance systems, and brought it down safely https://t.co/Ngd0rbACGw
— RT (@RT_com) October 29, 2026
MQM-170 Outlaw Drone and Its Capabilities
The MQM-170 Outlaw, manufactured by US-based Griffon Aerospace, is primarily designed to simulate aerial threats, support air defense training and test radar systems.
Depending on the variant, the drone can also carry cameras, sensors and other specialised payloads. Its recovery could provide Iranian technicians with an opportunity to study its equipment and mission data.
Images released by the IRGC Navy reportedly show the white fixed-wing drone on the ground. Iranian media described the operation as an electronic warfare interception rather than a conventional shoot-down.
US Central Command Rejects Iranian Claim
US Central Command rejected the Iranian account. CENTCOM spokesman Tim Hawkins described the report as false.
“In the past weeks and months, the IRGC has repeatedly lied out of desperation, and today is no different,” Hawkins said.
The US military did not provide further details about any specific aircraft activity in the area. The IRGC statement also did not specify the exact time of the alleged operation or explain the electronic warfare methods used.
Previous Drone Interceptions in the Region
The reported incident follows an earlier IRGC claim that Iranian air defenses shot down an MQ-1 drone east of the Strait of Hormuz. Iran described that interception as the 14th aircraft of its kind brought down by its air defense systems.
The incidents come amid heightened military readiness in the region following conflicts earlier in 2026.
The Strait of Hormuz remains a strategically important maritime route for global energy shipments. The latest claims highlight continuing military activity and disputes over aerial operations in the Persian Gulf region.
Iranian forces have said they will continue analysing the recovered aircraft, although the reported capture of the MQM-170 remains unconfirmed independently.
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