Iran's IRGC claims it shot down US MQ-1 Predator drone over Qeshm Island in Strait of Hormuz

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) on Saturday claimed that it had shot down a US MQ-1 Predator drone over Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz, Press TV reported, amid heightened tensions between Tehran and Washington.

US MQ-1 Predator drone shot down over Qeshm Island in Strait of Hormuz, says IRGC. (REUTERS)The claim came after the US military on Friday rejected Iran's allegations that it had struck an American early-warning radar in Bahrain.

Washington said its forces had intercepted and shot down two one-way attack drones launched by the IRGC towards Bahrain, adding that the incident caused no damage or injuries. Iranian state media reported that Tehran had launched the strike in response to what it described as an air attack on a telecommunications tower in its Hormozgan province.

Also read | ‘Enemy must learn from defeats’: Iran warns US of ‘painful strikes’ over military action The latest claims and counterclaims come amid a fragile lull in the conflict between Iran and the US, which began on February 28 with American and Israeli strikes on Iran and has since spread across the region.

Since the conflict began, Iran has launched missile and drone attacks targeting US bases in Gulf countries and sought to restrict shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial passage for global oil and gas supplies. In response, Washington imposed a naval blockade on Iranian ports, further escalating tensions between the two sides.

Iran's IRGC on Friday warned the United States against further military action, threatening a forceful response to even limited acts of aggression. IRGC Chief Commander Major General Ahmad Vahidi said Washington would face severe consequences if it continued its actions against Tehran.

His warning comes amid rising tensions between Iran and the United States, with fresh developments reported in the strategically important Strait of Hormuz. The IRGC has issued warnings over maritime movements in the waterway and claimed that a liquefied gas carrier was involved in a major explosion after striking a naval mine.

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