Tehran Says MQ‑9 Drone Downed Amid Ongoing US‑Iran Tensions

The Islamic Republic of Iran announced Wednesday morning that its air‑defence batteries successfully intercepted a U.S. MQ‑9 surveillance drone operating above Kish Island. The Iranian broadcast agency reported that the drone was neutralised at 02:29 after being detected by radar and targeted by missiles.

The statement mirrors a previous claim that an MQ‑1 drone was shot down over the Hormuz Strait on Tuesday. Iranian officials contend that these actions are a direct response to the “aggressive” posture of the United States and Israel, which they say have been conducting a campaign of aerial incursions across the Gulf. U.S. representatives have labeled the assertions as baseless, while Tehran’s foreign minister promised to reveal concrete evidence of American losses at a later date.