Iran's IRGC Claims to Have Shot Down US Surveillance Drone

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) of Iran has claimed its forces shot down a US surveillance drone while firing at a US military aircraft detected entering Iranian airspace. “The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ air defence unit identified and shot down an MQ-9 drone,” the IRGC stated in a report on its Sepah News website, according to AFP on Tuesday, 26 May 2026. The US-made MQ-9 Reaper is an armed drone used by the US Air Force and Pentagon, primarily serving as a “hunter-killer” for intelligence gathering, surveillance, and precision strike operations. The IRGC said the drone and US military aircraft were detected “entering Iranian airspace in the Persian Gulf region.” It also claimed to have engaged an RQ-4 drone and an F-35 fighter jet that entered Iranian airspace, though no specific timing was provided. The IRGC stated the gunfire was intended to force the US aircraft to retreat from Iranian airspace. The RQ-4 Global Hawk is another US military surveillance drone, while the F-35 is a stealth fighter jet. The IRGC asserted its right “to respond to any ceasefire violations by the US military, the aggressor.” The claim follows reports from Iranian news agency Fars that US and Israeli fighter jets attacked Iranian vessels near Larak Island in the Strait of Hormuz, killing “several Iranian citizens” without specifying numbers. Other Iranian media reported at least four deaths from the recent US and Israeli strikes. Such claims remain unverified, with the US Pentagon not commenting on the IRGC’s allegations. This development comes amid ongoing mediation efforts led by Pakistan to end the conflict that began in late February. During a visit to Beijing this week, Pakistan’s military chief, Air Chief Marshal Asim Munir, told Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi that a US-Iran agreement was “nearly reached.” Fighting between Iran, the US, and Israel has largely ceased since a ceasefire was imposed on 8 April, which was then extended indefinitely by US President Donald Trump.