IRGC Downs Another Advanced MQ-1 Drone Over Strait of Hormuz

TEHRAN: Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) says it has intercepted and destroyed another advanced US MQ-1 drone over the Strait of Hormuz, in the latest incident involving American unmanned aircraft in the strategically important waterway.

The IRGC Public Relations Office said on Monday that the drone was detected and engaged by an advanced air-defence system operated by the IRGC Aerospace Force.

According to the statement, the operation was conducted under Iran’s integrated air-defence network.

The IRGC said the MQ-1 was intercepted and destroyed over the skies of the Strait of Hormuz.

Another US Drone Shot Down

The latest incident follows the reported destruction of another US MQ-1 drone by Iranian Army air-defence forces last week.

The Iranian Army said its air-defence units detected, tracked and engaged the aircraft in southeastern Iran before destroying it.

The repeated incidents have highlighted the growing importance of the Strait of Hormuz as a contested military and surveillance zone amid the continuing confrontation between Iran and the United States.

Iran Expands Air Defence Operations

Iran has increasingly focused on strengthening its control and surveillance capabilities around the Strait of Hormuz as military tensions have escalated.

Iranian forces have previously intercepted or brought down a number of high-value US unmanned systems, including the RQ-170 Sentinel and MQ-9 Reaper, as well as other underwater and surface unmanned platforms operating in the region.

Tehran has used recovered foreign systems to study their technology, with reverse-engineering efforts contributing to the development of its domestic unmanned aerial and maritime capabilities.

US Drone Fleet Under Pressure

According to figures cited by Bloomberg, Iran has destroyed more than two dozen MQ-9 Reaper drones since the beginning of the US-Israeli war, representing a significant share of the Pentagon’s pre-war inventory.

At an estimated cost of around $30 million per aircraft, the reported losses could amount to approximately $1 billion.

The US operational Reaper fleet has reportedly fallen to roughly 135 aircraft, below a stated minimum level of 189, according to congressional testimony cited by Bloomberg and The War Zone.

MQ-9 Production Also Facing Constraints

General Atomics, the manufacturer of the MQ-9, has reportedly confirmed that fewer than 10 new airframes remain available for purchase, while production of the MQ-9A has been shut down.

The reported losses and production constraints could create additional pressure on the US military’s ability to sustain long-duration unmanned surveillance operations.

For Iran, the latest interception provides another opportunity to demonstrate its air-defence capabilities and its ability to detect sophisticated American unmanned aircraft operating near the Strait of Hormuz.

The US side has not, in the information provided, immediately confirmed the IRGC’s latest account of the reported drone destruction.