Iran shoots down US MQ-1 drone near Hormuz after strikes American radar base in Bahrain

The Islamic Republic of Iran Army, Navy and the IRGC announced that their air defence units intercepted and shot down a US MQ-1 drone near the Strait of Hormuz, in the area off the coast of Sirik and the Kouhestak/Qeshm Island area. According to a Friday statement, the drone was tracked and brought down using a newly deployed air defence system under the Islamic Republic’s integrated air defence network, operated by the Army’s Navy branch.

The statement underscored Iran’s resolve to defend its territorial integrity, maritime borders, and national interests without hesitation. The incident followed after US forces reportedly targeted a telecommunications tower in Sirik. In response, Iran launched an attack on a US radar installation in Bahrain. The facility provides early warning of incoming attacks.

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After Iran launched the attack on the US in Bahrain, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps chief Ahmad Vahidi warned that any fresh American aggression would face a devastating response. "Our response will be devastating and painful," he said, warning that the United States would learn from its previous defeats or face a greater lesson.