The key facts

  • The Iranian Army claimed the destruction of a US MQ-9 drone over Kishm Island by 'advanced systems' of the unified air defense network
  • The US has not commented on the claim
  • Kishm is Iran's largest island near the northern approaches to the Strait of Hormuz

Statement by the Iranian Army

The Iranian Army announced on Friday that its air defense forces shot down an American MQ-9 drone over Kishm Island. According to the army's press service, as cited by the Tasnim agency, the drone was hit and destroyed by 'advanced systems' operating as part of the unified air defense network. The statement described the aircraft as belonging to the 'invading American enemy,' and the Iranian side characterized the American military as a 'terrorist army.' Anadolu reported this.

Context and the US reaction

The United States has not yet commented on the statement. Kishm is Iran's largest island, located in the southern province of Hormozgan near the northern approaches to the Strait of Hormuz, the strategic waterway connecting the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman. According to Anadolu, Iran has repeatedly reported intercepting American drones over Kishm and the adjacent waters amid military tensions with Washington following the US-Israeli offensive against Iran that began on February 28 and, despite the June memorandum on a comprehensive peace agreement, remains unresolved to this day. The report contains no confirmation of the drone's downing by independent sources or from the US side.