Iran · updated 2h ago · 2 min read
IRGC Shoots Down US MQ-9 Drone Over Qeshm Island Near Strait of Hormuz
IRGC downs US MQ-9 drone over Qeshm Island near the Strait of Hormuz Described as the 53rd MQ-9 drone destroyed by IRGC
Whether the claim is independently verified.
8 of 9 outlets skipped it: CGTN references IRIB as the reporting source.
Anadolu Ajansı was read line by line by the Watchdog: 2.9. See the score →
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Anadolu Ajansı
“Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said Thursday that it shot down another US MQ-9 drone”Read the original ↗
Middle East Eye stresses non-verification, while Anadolu Ajansı presents the IRGC claim without that caveat.
Qeshm drone shootdown
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said it shot down another US MQ-9 drone over Qeshm Island near the Strait of Hormuz, describing the aircraft as the 53rd US MQ-9 drone downed by Iranian forces.
“it shot down another US MQ-9 drone over Qeshm Island”
The IRGC said the drone was detected and destroyed at 10.12 am local time (0642GMT) by a new advanced air defense system operated by the IRGC Aerospace Force under the country’s integrated air defense network.
An Anadolu Ajansı report said the incident was announced Thursday, and it framed the episode as part of a series of drone interceptions reported by Iranian forces in recent weeks around the strategic Strait of Hormuz.A
Caliber.Az similarly said the IRGC claimed Iranian air defences shot down a US Air Force MQ-9 Reaper unmanned combat aerial vehicle over Qeshm Island, with the incident occurring at 10:12 a.m. local time in the airspace over the island.
Counting and timing
Multiple outlets repeated the IRGC’s timing for the interception, with Anadolu Ajansı citing 10.12 am local time (0642GMT) and Caliber.Az stating 10:12 a.m. local time.
An Anadolu Ajansı report said the IRGC described the destruction as being carried out by a new advanced air defense system operated by the IRGC Aerospace Force under Iran’s integrated air defense network.A
Caliber.Az added that if confirmed, the incident would mark the 53rd MQ-9 Reaper reportedly shot down by Iranian forces since the start of the war.
In a separate claim, CGTN said the IRGC reported it shot down the 53rd US MQ-9 drone in the sky above Iran’s Qeshm Island with its air defense system, as reported by the state-run IRIB news agency.
Strait of Hormuz stakes
The shootdown claim came as several reports tied the episode to ongoing confrontations around the Strait of Hormuz, with Türkiye Today describing the waterway as a flashpoint in the U.S-Iran conflict.
“at 2:29 a.m. local time over the skies of Qeshm Island”
Türkiye Today said the IRGC claimed its air defense system detected and struck a US-made MQ-9 unmanned aerial vehicle at 2:29 a.m. local time over the skies of Qeshm Island, and it also referenced IRNA reporting of explosions overnight near Qeshm Island.
An Anadolu Ajansı report said Iran and the US have been engaged in military exchanges since US-Israeli attacks on Iran began on Feb. A28, and it said Tehran responded with missile and drone attacks against Israel and US military bases across the region.
The Anadolu Ajansı report also said the latest incident came amid a series of drone interceptions reported by Iranian forces in recent weeks around the strategic Strait of Hormuz, where it said both sides have increasingly confronted each other.A