Iran (IMNA) – In a statement released on Friday, the Navy said the unmanned aerial vehicle, belonging to the United States, was detected, tracked, and destroyed by its air defense system operating within Iran’s integrated air defense network along the coast of Sirik, east of the Strait of Hormuz.
According to the statement, the drone was successfully tracked before being struck in the Kuhestak area along the Sirik coastline.
The Army Navy stressed that it would not hesitate to defend Iran’s territorial integrity, maritime borders, and national interests.
The MQ-1 Predator is a medium-altitude, long-endurance remotely piloted aircraft developed by US defense contractor General Atomics. It was primarily operated by the US Air Force for military and surveillance missions.
Although the US Air Force retired its MQ-1 Predator fleet in 2018, replacing it with the more advanced MQ-9 Reaper, the aircraft has continued to feature in US military and surveillance operations.
Iran's Armed Forces have inflicted significant losses on the US MQ-9 Reaper fleet during the US-Israeli aggression, reportedly prompting Washington to return to using MQ-1 drones to maintain its aerial surveillance and reconnaissance operations.
Last Friday, the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) announced that it had shot down the 16th US MQ-1 drone since the beginning of the US-Israeli aggression.
Iran has restricted passage through the Strait of Hormuz since the early days of the US-Israeli war against the country, which began on February 28 and was brought to a temporary halt by a ceasefire in early April following Iran's retaliatory operations.
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