Iran has announced it shot down another US military drone near the Strait of Hormuz, increasing tensions between Tehran and Washington. According to the Tasnim news agency, citing Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, an MQ-1 Predator drone was intercepted and destroyed east of the strategic waterway by Iran’s newly deployed advanced air defense system. The US military has not confirmed the incident.

Iran claims that since the outbreak of conflict in late February, its armed forces have destroyed a total of 14 MQ-1 Predator drones and more than 50 MQ-9 Reaper drones. These figures have not been verified independently.

The ongoing dispute follows a series of attacks attributed to Iranian forces in and around the Strait of Hormuz, a critical chokepoint for global oil exports. The US Congressional Research Service has documented losses and damage to numerous US aircraft and drones in connection with military operations involving both the United States and Israel targeting Iran. Shipping data from Kpler indicated a further decline in oil exports passing through the Strait last week, underlining the continuing impact on commercial activity in the region.

The repeated drone losses and escalations near the Strait of Hormuz highlight the fragile security situation and underscore the potential for further confrontations between Iran and US forces operating in the Gulf.