IRGC Navy Says It Captured US Spy Drone Intact in Hormuz

By Staff, Agencies

The Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Navy says it has seized an American MQM-170 spy and deception drone through an electronic warfare operation, bringing the aircraft down intact in the western Strait of Hormuz.

In a statement on Thursday, the IRGC Navy’s public relations office said its electronic warfare unit had detected the drone and taken control of its guidance and control systems before safely landing it.

According to the statement, the drone was tasked with identifying Iran’s air defense systems along the Persian Gulf coastline and the Strait of Hormuz.

The IRGC Navy added that data recovered from the aircraft indicated it had taken off from the coast of one of the southern Persian Gulf littoral states.

The announcement followed a separate statement by the IRGC Aerospace Force, which said it had intercepted and destroyed an advanced MQ-1 drone belonging to the US military over the Strait of Hormuz.

The force said the aircraft was brought down using a new air defense system operating under Iran’s Integrated Air-Defense Network.

The reported incidents come amid escalating tensions between Tehran and Washington over the Strait of Hormuz, a strategically important maritime passage for global energy shipments.

Iranian authorities have maintained that resolving the standoff requires the United States to end its interventionist actions and fulfill its obligations, rejecting proposals that they say disregard Tehran’s demands.

The Strait has remained at the center of the confrontation, with its security and access carrying significant regional and international implications.

Iranian forces have previously reported downing or capturing several high-value US military assets over the past decade, including an RQ-170 Sentinel stealth drone, MQ-9 Reaper drones, and various underwater gliders and surface vessels in the Persian Gulf.