Iran says it has shot down 14th US MQ-1 drone near Strait of Hormuz

Qabil Ashirov

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Iran has shot down a US MQ-1 unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) east of the Strait of Hormuz, according to a statement released by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).

The IRGC said the drone was the 14th MQ-1 UAV to have been shot down.

According to the statement, the drone was intercepted by a new Iranian air defence system east of the Strait of Hormuz, off the coast of Sirik County in Hormozgan Province.

Tensions between the United States and Iran escalated again on July 8. On that day, US forces launched several waves of strikes against Iranian territory, reportedly in response to an attack on a commercial vessel in the Strait of Hormuz. The strikes marked the first such US military action since a memorandum was signed between Washington and Tehran.

US President Donald Trump announced the suspension of the ceasefire with Iran later that day.

In response, Tehran began launching strikes against US facilities located in Bahrain, Jordan, Qatar, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates and Oman.

The conflict has brought maritime trade through the Strait of Hormuz to a near standstill, disrupting one of the world's most strategically important shipping routes.