IRGC air defenses down 14th US MQ-1 drone over Strait of Hormuz

In a statement on Thursday, the IRGC said the aircraft was brought down using the Aerospace Force’s new air-defense system operating under the control of Iran’s Integrated Air-Defense Network.

It added that the drone was destroyed over the eastern part of the Strait of Hormuz, opposite the coastal city of Sirik.

The downing marks the latest in a series of similar interceptions over the Strait of Hormuz in recent weeks.

Earlier this month, the IRGC said its air defense forces intercepted and shot down an American MQ-9 Reaper long-endurance drone over the Strait of Hormuz.

Last month, the Iranian Army said its air defense had shot down a US MQ-1 drone over the strategic Strait of Hormuz.

The Army said its air defense forces detected, tracked and targeted the drone in southeastern Iran before striking and destroying it.

The reappearance of MQ-1 Predator drones over the Persian Gulf in 2026 points to mounting pressure on the US military’s unmanned aircraft fleet, as Iranian air defenses and Yemeni forces inflict heavy losses on American surveillance and strike capabilities.

The US Air Force retired the MQ-1 in 2018, replacing it with the more advanced MQ-9 Reaper. However, after CENTCOM reported that an American MQ-1 had been destroyed by Iranian air defenses on May 31, questions emerged over whether the aircraft was a reactivated Predator or the Army’s MQ-1C Gray Eagle.

Military experts have noted that the return of older drones reflects a shortage of available Reapers, with roughly 30 percent of the US fleet downed by Iran. More than 50 MQ-9s had been destroyed by Iranian air defenses since late February, while Yemeni forces had shot down roughly 30 since late 2023.

Although Washington is developing cheaper, attritable aircraft, the return of the Predator signals growing constraints on US military operations in the region.