Iran claims it downed, captured US drone near Qeshm Island in Strait of Hormuz

Iran claimed Friday that its Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) had downed and captured a US drone near Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz using advanced electronic warfare systems, according to the state-run IRNA news agency. The IRGC Aerospace Force brought down the MQM-170 drone over Qeshm Island several hours earlier, the report said. It added that this was the second time that IRGC personnel had captured such a drone intact.

On Thursday, the IRGC Navy claimed it had seized control of a US MQM-170 drone in the western Strait of Hormuz through an electronic warfare operation and landed it intact. Iranian media said the drone had been deployed to identify Iranian air defense systems along the Gulf coast and the Strait of Hormuz. The US military rejected Thursday’s Iranian account, with US Central Command spokesman Capt. Tim Hawkins dismissing the claim. Separately, Thursday, Iranian media reported that the IRGC had intercepted and destroyed an MQ-1 drone near the Strait of Hormuz.

The developments come amid heightened tensions between Iran and the United States over the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic waterway for global energy shipments. The US and Israel launched attacks on Iran on Feb. 28, triggering Iranian retaliation across the region. Despite subsequent diplomatic efforts and a memorandum signed by Washington and Tehran in June, tensions have persisted over security arrangements and navigation through the strait.