Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Says It Shot Down US MQ-1 Drone in Iranian Airspace

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said on May 31 it shot down a US MQ-1 drone after it entered Iranian airspace. The claim came as the US and Iran continued talks on a peace proposal even as accusations of limited military clashes persisted.

Iran’s state-run IRNA news agency and other local media cited the Revolutionary Guard as saying the drone violated Iranian airspace to conduct hostile operations. It said air-defense missiles immediately intercepted the aircraft.

The announcement came five days after the Revolutionary Guard accused the US of violating a ceasefire agreement. At the time, it said Iran had a lawful and firm right to respond.

The US military struck military facilities in a southern Iranian port city on May 25. US Central Command described the attack as a defensive measure. Spokesman Tim Hawkins said it was intended to protect US forces from Iranian threats.

The Revolutionary Guard has previously made similar claims about US drones. On May 26, it said it shot down a US MQ-9 Reaper drone and fired warning shots at an F-35 fighter jet. It made another such claim on May 29, saying it had downed a US aircraft near Bushehr.

US Central Command disputed the May 29 claim, saying no US aircraft had been shot down and that the whereabouts of all air assets had been confirmed.

Han Kyung-woo, Hankyung.com reporter case@hankyung.com