IRGC says it downed a fourth US MQ-1 drone over eastern Strait of Hormuz

The public relations office of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) announced on Tuesday, September 15, 2026 (24 Shahrivar 1405) that it intercepted and destroyed a fourth US MQ-1 reconnaissance drone in the skies east of the Strait of Hormuz within the past few days. According to the statement, the interception was carried out using the IRGC Aerospace Force's new advanced air defense system, under the country's integrated air defense network.

This marks the fourth such interception in the recent multi-day span, occurring amid escalating military tension in the Strait of Hormuz, the route for a large share of Persian Gulf oil exports. The US Central Command (CENTCOM) has not issued an official comment on the claim so far.

Market analysts say the rise in insecurity around the strait in recent weeks has been a key driver of volatility in global oil and gold prices, as well as the US dollar rate in Iran's free market.