IRGC Says It Shot Down a US MQ-9 Drone Over Hormozgan

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said on Friday, August 14, 2026 (23 Mordad 1405), that a US MQ-9 drone was tracked and shot down over the skies of Hormozgan province by the IRGC's new advanced air defense system, operating under the country's integrated air defense network. According to Khabaronline, citing Tasnim News Agency, no further details on the exact time of interception or the precise crash site have been released. Ecoiran and Donya-e-Eqtesad separately reported the same IRGC statement.\n\nThe incident comes amid the prolonged US-Iran deadlock over the Strait of Hormuz, a waterway that has been the focus of military tension in recent weeks, the site of attacks on oil tankers, and an area of markedly reduced shipping traffic. Hormozgan province sits on the northern shore of the Strait of Hormuz and is home to Bandar Abbas, Iran's largest commercial port, so any escalation in the area feeds directly into global oil market expectations, shipping insurance premiums, and Iran's currency rate.