IRGC air defense downs MQ-9 drone over western Iran
The Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) announced that its air defense forces have shot down an MQ-9 drone over the skies of Eslamabad-e Gharb in western Iran.
According to a statement carried by the IRGC’s official news outlet, the MQ-9 unmanned aerial vehicle was detected, tracked, and destroyed by the IRGC Aerospace Force’s newly developed advanced air defense system operating under the country’s integrated air defense network.
Earlier on Sunday night, the Iranian Army also announced that another intruding MQ-9 drone had been intercepted and destroyed in western Iran.
In a statement, the Army’s Public Relations Office said the drone was successfully engaged and brought down by the Army Air Defense Force’s missile systems operating within Iran’s integrated air defense network.
Iran’s air defense forces have compiled a remarkable record of aerial victories during the ongoing war and previous conflicts with the US.
During the 40-day US-Israeli war of aggression, Iranian air defense units destroyed hundreds of advanced enemy drones, including MQ-9 Reapers, Hermes, and LUCAS models.
The IRGC has also successfully targeted multiple US fighter jets, including F-35 stealth fighters, F-15s, and F-16s, along with refueling planes.
In a single 24-hour period on April 3, 2026, Iranian forces downed an F-15E Strike Eagle, an A-10 Thunderbolt II, multiple MQ-9 Reaper drones, Hermes reconnaissance platforms, and a salvo of cruise missiles.
According to a report by The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) on Saturday, Iran has demonstrated increasingly sophisticated missile capabilities during its latest wave of retaliatory strikes on US military positions across West Asia.
American officials have expressed growing concern over Iran’s evolving missile capabilities, saying Tehran has adapted its missiles to penetrate US air defense systems and carry out increasingly precise strikes against sensitive targets.
The downing of the MQ-9 drones comes as Iran’s armed forces continue their sustained retaliation against US military bases across the region, following repeated American violations of a fragile ceasefire and the collapse of the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding signed on June 17.
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