Iranupdated 1h ago2 min read
Archive photo · 16 October 2019Iran’s Army Shoots Down US LUCAS Drone Over Bandar Abbas
“operating illegally over southern Iran.”
“Iran's army claimed Sunday that its air defense forces shot down and destroyed a US Lucas-type drone over the southern port city of Bandar Abbas”
Photo: Kasir, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Cropped for layout
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Iran's army says air defenses shot down a US LUCAS drone over Bandar Abbas The drone was destroyed by Iran's integrated air defense network
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Drone Downing at Bandar Abbas
Iran’s Army air defenses shot down and destroyed a US LUCAS drone over the southern port city of Bandar Abbas, according to an official statement carried by Al-Manar TV Lebanon. Iran’s Army said the drone was struck by air defense systems operating under the country’s integrated air defense network, and the statement said the drone was destroyed. Brigadier General Majid Mousavi, commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Aerospace Force, said in September that the US developed the LUCAS drone by emulating Iran’s Shahed-136 and incorporated it into its military arsenal.
Mousavi described Iran’s Shahed-class drones as a diverse fleet designed for combat, surveillance and reconnaissance missions, and he called indigenous drone capabilities a major asset in national defense. Mousavi also said Operation True Promise 1 set a record for the use of domestically developed drones operated by the IRGC Aerospace Force.
US Strike Talk and Denial
Iran’s army claimed Sunday that air defense forces shot down and destroyed a US Lucas-type drone over Bandar Abbas, and Tasnim reported the claim through the military’s public relations department. Tasnim said the drone was destroyed "by the fire of the Air Defense Force's systems, under the country's integrated air defense network," and the report did not provide further details about the incident. Shafaq News reported that the US military had not confirmed the claim, while Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi warned that shipping routes and arrangements for managing the Strait of Hormuz would not return to their prewar form.
Araghchi said the conflict had created "a new security reality" and he argued that Iran and Oman had previously maintained open passage through the waterway. Araghchi also cautioned that another attack would produce the same outcome as previous confrontations, and he called for a regional security framework without foreign military involvement.
Hormuz Stakes and Wider War
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi warned that the Strait of Hormuz would not return to its prewar form, and he described a "new security reality" after recent regional conflicts. Shafaq News said tensions over the Strait of Hormuz have persisted since Washington resumed its naval blockade of Iranian ports in July, and it cited US Central Command reporting that American forces redirected 138 commercial vessels. Shafaq News also said the IRGC warned companies on October 9 against following US instructions and threatened ships using "unauthorized routes."
Iran’s claim of a LUCAS drone downing arrived as US President Donald Trump raised the possibility of striking Iran as early as October 25 or reaching a major agreement with Tehran, according to Shafaq News. Shafaq News reported that Trump declined to disclose the timing of any operation and questioned whether Iran would accept a deal, asserting that Washington would prevail either way.