Iran Says Air Defences Downed Three US Drones Amid Escalating Tensions

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) announced late Monday that its air defence systems had intercepted three US drones operating in the country’s southern airspace.

According to the IRGC, two MQM-170 Outlaw drones were intercepted above Qeshm Island. It also claimed that its forces brought down an MQ-9 Reaper in waters east of the Strait of Hormuz.

The announcement followed reports of American attacks on Qeshm Island. The Wall Street Journal, citing US officials, said Washington had carried out a series of limited strikes against Iran in recent weeks.

The report said some American officials viewed the strikes as defensive operations intended to prevent Iran from targeting commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.

Washington reportedly kept the operations undisclosed to avoid suggesting that it planned to restart large-scale military action.

US President Donald Trump said he was “in no rush” to decide whether to launch further strikes against Iran.

“One way or the other, we will do something, but there is no rush,” Trump told Axios. He also claimed that US actions had severely weakened Iran’s financial position.

Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi said diplomatic activity had increased but cautioned that further American military escalation would prompt a “far more bitter and severe” response, Xinhua News Agency reported.

Iranian media reported multiple explosions on Qeshm Island early Tuesday. Residents also reportedly heard blasts on Hengam Island and in Bandar Abbas, according to the semi-official Fars news agency.

The cause of the reported explosions remained unclear.

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