IRGC claims it downed a “spy drone” on Thursday morning; US military confirms surface-to-air missile shot down US Navy Broad Area Maritime Surveillance (or BAMS-D) ISR aircraft; Iran: The downing of the American drone was a clear message to America.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) shot down a US military drone over the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday night in its latest aggression toward the United States.
Iranian media reported it had downed a “US spy drone” over the Hormozgan province in southern Iran on Thursday morning claiming it was a violation of its airspace. Varied local media outlets claimed the drone downed was a RQ-4 Global Hawk. The commander and chief of the Guards, Major General Hossein Salami, issued a warning and confirmed the attack shortly after, threatening, “The downing of the American drone was a clear message to America… The only way for our enemies to be safe is to respect our sovereignty, national security and national interests of the great Iranian nation.”
Hours later, the United States refuted the reports, claiming the drone was downed by a missile over international airspace in the Strait. It reported that the drone hit was a US Navy MQ-4C Triton. The US Central Command released the statement amidst false media reports from Iran, “[The] US Central Command can confirm that a US Navy Broad Area Maritime Surveillance (or BAMS-D) ISR aircraft was shot down by an Iranian surface-to-air missile system while operating in international airspace over the Strait of Hormuz.”
Reports claim Iran fired a surface-to-air missile at a US MQ-9 UVA (drone) just before last Thursday’s attacks on two oil tankers, which it continues to deny responsibility. The United States released footage of IRGC forces removing a mine used to attack one of two oil tankers, the US Military Central Command confirming this week, “Iran is responsible for the attack based on video evidence and the resources and proficiency needed to quickly remove the unexploded limpet mine.”
The United States Department of Defense recently announced it would deploy an additional 1,000 troops to the Middle East to combat Iran’s threats on US positions in the region. The Pentagon confirmed later that a Patriot missile battalion would also be deployed.
