Iran’s IRGC says it shot down a US MQ-1 drone

Iran’s IRGC shot down US MQ-1 and MQ-9 drones, fired at a fighter jet, and vowed retaliation. The US launched self-defence strikes on Iranian sites, while explosions near Bandar Abbas intensified Strait of Hormuz tensions amid nuclear program concerns

Tehran: Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) said in a statement on Sunday that it had shot down a US MQ-1 drone, the state-run Islamic Republic News Agency reported.

The drone entered Iranian territorial waters with the intention of conducting hostile operations, but was promptly detected and brought down by air defence missiles, the report said.

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Earlier on Tuesday, the IRGC said that it reserved the “legitimate and definite” right to retaliate against any ceasefire violations by the United States, adding that its air defence units had shot down a US MQ-9 drone.

According to local media reports, the IRGC also claimed to have fired at a fighter jet that had entered Iranian airspace. This comes after the US said it conducted fresh “self-defence strikes” on Iran. The US military struck missile launch sites and mine-laying boats in southern Iran earlier on Monday, according to the US Central Command (CENTCOM).

“US forces conducted self-defence strikes in southern Iran today to protect our troops from threats posed by Iranian forces,” CENTCOM spokesperson Tim Hawkins said in a statement.

“Targets included missile launch sites and Iranian boats attempting to emplace mines. US Central Command continues to defend our forces while using restraint during the ongoing ceasefire,” he said.

On Thursday, the US military carried out fresh overnight strikes in Iran, targeting a military site that Washington said posed a threat to US forces and commercial vessels in the region, multiple US media outlets reported.

The official described the strikes as defensive, asserting the US-Iran ceasefire is still considered to be holding. Meanwhile, three explosions were heard east of the Iranian port city of Bandar Abbas on the Strait of Hormuz at around 1:30 a.m. Thursday (2200 GMT Wednesday), the Iranian news agency Fars reported.

Washington has cited the Islamic Republic’s nuclear program as a major reason for embarking on the conflict with Israel, maintaining that Tehran poses a threat as it wants to develop nuclear weapons.