US Confirms Iran Shot Down Its Drone

Officials of the United States have confirmed its drone was shot by Iran while flying around the Strait of Hormuz.

Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC), Iran’s armed forces, announced that it shot down the US drone over Iranian airspace, near Kuhmobarak in the southern province of Hormozgan,  Irna news agency reports.

The US, however, contends that the disputed area is an international airspace.

Major General Hossein Salami, IRGC commander, told the country’s state media that the action sent “a clear message to America.”

The IRGC identified the downed drone as a RQ-4 Global Hawk, but a US military official told Reuters that the drone was a US Navy MQ-4C Triton.

The incident comes at a time of escalating tensions between the US and Iran.

The US Defence Department on Monday said it was deploying 1,000 extra troops to the region in response to “hostile behaviour” by Iranian forces.

The deployment follows an attack on two oil tankers with mines last Thursday just outside the Strait of Hormuz, in the Gulf of Oman.

The US accused Iran of being responsible for the attack, but Iran rejects the allegation.

Tensions were further fuelled on Monday when Iran said its stockpile of low-enriched uranium would next week exceed limits it agreed with world powers under a landmark nuclear deal in 2015.

Iran stepped up its production in response to tightening economic sanctions from the US, which unilaterally withdrew from the deal last year.

The US had last week alleged that Iran had attempted to shoot down a US MQ-9 Reaper drone with a surface-to-air missile in the Gulf of Oman.

The drone was said to be conducting surveillance on the Kokuka Courageous, one of the tankers attacked last week in the Gulf.

The drone had earlier observed a fire on board the other vessel, the Front Altair.