IRGC shoots down US MQ-9 Reaper drone over Hormozgan

The Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) says an American MQ-9 Reaper drone has been shot down over the southern Iranian province of Hormozgan.

The Islamic Revolution Guards Corps' Public Relations Department said in a brief statement on Friday that the IRGC's new advanced defense system intercepted and destroyed an MQ-9 Reaper drone in the skies of Hormozgan, under the control of the country's integrated air defense network.

This came a day after the Washington Post reported that the United States has lost 45 MQ-9 Reaper drones since launching its war of aggression against Iran, with Iranian air defenses bringing down roughly a quarter of the US fleet and exposing the vulnerability of one of Washington’s key surveillance and strike platforms.

According to the report, the losses could cost US taxpayers more than $1.3 billion, with each Reaper estimated to be worth between $30 million and $50 million, depending on its configuration.

When the war began on February 28, the US had approximately 185 Reapers, including 165 operated by the Air Force and 20 by the Marine Corps.

Iranian air defenses accounted for a substantial share of the losses, highlighting the difficulty faced by the US military in protecting its costly drones while operating over Iranian territory.

The attrition is particularly significant because the MQ-9 Reaper is a central component of US intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance operations, as well as precision strikes. Its ability to operate without risking a pilot has made it a preferred platform for missions over heavily defended territory.

The latest round of US-Israeli attacks on Iran began on February 28, prompting Tehran to launch daily missile and drone strikes against US and Israeli military targets in the region before Tehran and Washington signed the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on June 17.

However, the US breached its commitments under the MoU in July and renewed aggression against Iran, triggering Iran's strong retaliation.

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