Iran Downs 52nd US MQ-9 Drone over Qeshm Island

By Staff, Agencies

The Islamic Revolutions Guards [IRG] confirmed that its air defense forces have intercepted and destroyed the 52nd MQ-9 Reaper drone operated by the enemy since the US- “Israeli” aggression began.

“The drone was intercepted and destroyed at 2:29 a.m. local time on Wednesday over Qeshm Island by the Iran’s advanced air defense system,” the IRG's Public Relations Office announced

“During the Third Imposed War, hundreds of hostile drones have been shot down by the country’s air defense forces,” the IRG said, noting that Lucas, Hermes, MQ-1 and MQ-9 drones were among them.

The IRG Aerospace Force also intercepted and destroyed an MQ-1 Predator drone over the skies of the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday.

The downing came hours after the IRG announced the interception and destruction of another US MQ-1 over the strategic waterway, bringing the total number of MQ-1s downed by Iran’s Armed forces’ integrated air defense network to 3.

A few days earlier, the IRG had also announced the destruction of a US military unmanned surface vessel, or drone boat, at the entrance to the strategic Strait of Hormuz.

The operation was carried out last Thursday, with the IRG describing it as “a precise, intelligent and timely action” in defense of Iran’s territorial integrity and vital national interests.

Meanwhile, American business news channel Bloomberg also reported that Iran has eliminated more than two dozen MQ-9 drones since the onset of the US-Israeli war in late February, accounting for nearly 20 percent of the Pentagon’s inventory before the offensive.

Congressional testimony indicates that the operational MQ-9 fleet of the US Air Force has decreased to approximately 135 aircraft, significantly below its established minimum threshold of 189, as reported by Bloomberg.