Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has claimed it captured a US surveillance drone west of the Strait of Hormuz, as Iranian state media separately reported that three oil tankers caught fire after allegedly striking mines in the strategic waterway.
The developments were announced by the IRGC Navy and reported by Iranian news agencies, including IRNA and Tasnim.
Iran Claims Capture of US Surveillance Drone
According to Iran’s state news agency, IRNA, the IRGC Navy said its Electronic Warfare Unit had safely landed an American drone west of the Strait of Hormuz.
The force identified the aircraft as an “MQM-170” and alleged that it was conducting surveillance to identify Iran’s air defence systems along the Persian Gulf coast and the Strait of Hormuz.
In a statement, the IRGC Navy said information retrieved from the drone indicated that its flight originated from the coast of one of the countries on the southern edge of the Persian Gulf.
The announcement followed an earlier claim by the IRGC that it had downed an MQ-1 drone in airspace east of the Strait of Hormuz.
The reports did not provide independent evidence confirming the capture or downing of the aircraft.
In a separate development, the IRGC Navy claimed that three tankers caught fire after striking mines while passing through the Strait of Hormuz.
Iranian state media reported that the vessels were using what the IRGC described as an “unauthorised” southern route through the waterway.
According to Tasnim, the IRGC Navy alleged that the tankers had switched off their radar and navigation systems and ignored warnings before attempting to leave the route.
The force said the vessels were subsequently abandoned along the southern shores of the strait after catching fire.
It also warned of environmental pollution resulting from the incidents and held the vessels’ owners and crews responsible for using the route.
The IRGC further warned shipping operators against relying on communications from the United States Central Command (CENTCOM), saying it would respond decisively to what it considered provocative actions.
The reports did not identify the tankers, their owners or the nationalities of their crews. They also did not provide independently confirmed details of casualties, the extent of any oil spill or the precise locations of the reported fires.
The claims come amid heightened attention on security in the Strait of Hormuz, a major shipping route for global oil and gas supplies. Independent confirmation of the reported drone incidents and tanker fires would be needed to establish the full circumstances.
