Archive: Mojtaba Nozarnejad/Fars Media, CC BY 4.0 (cropped)
Iranian media reported that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps claimed to have shot down a U.S. drone over Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz, a claim that had not been confirmed by the United States, Iran International reported.
The claim, carried by Iranian outlets and relayed by Reuters, described the aircraft as a U.S. military drone downed over or near Qeshm Island. The IRGC said its Aerospace Force used electronic warfare systems to force the drone to land, according to the report. U.S. officials had not confirmed any loss of an aircraft.
Qeshm, Iran’s largest island, sits at the mouth of the Persian Gulf alongside the Strait of Hormuz, the waterway that carries roughly a fifth of global oil consumption, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. The IRGC has announced drone shootdowns in the area before, including the 2019 downing of a U.S. Navy surveillance drone that brought the two countries close to open conflict.
Any confirmed downing of a U.S. aircraft would mark a significant escalation at a time of heightened tension in the Gulf.
JBizNews Desk | Washington
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