Iran says it shot down US drone over Strait of Hormuz

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said on Tuesday that it had intercepted and destroyed a US MQ-9 drone over the Strait of Hormuz, Iran’s semi-official Fars news agency reported.

The IRGC said the drone was downed early Tuesday while flying over the strategic waterway, claiming it was the 54th US MQ-9 drone it had destroyed, according to the agency.

The incident comes amid tensions between Washington and Tehran following the US-Israeli war against Iran, which began on February 28.

Iran responded with missile and drone attacks across the region and effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz, while the United States later imposed a naval blockade on Iranian ports.

The two sides later signed a memorandum of understanding in June to allow navigation through the strait.
However, the deal hit a roadblock amid disagreements over security in the strategic waterway.