Iran says it has shot down a US drone as tensions rise between the two countries.
Tehran’s state-run IRNA news agency claims the Revolutionary Guard shot down the RQ-4 Global Hawk unmanned plane when it entered Iranian airspace near the Kouhmobarak district in the southern Hormozgan province. The BBC says the area is “a key route for global oil supplies”.
The RQ-4 Global Hawk is a high-altitude aircraft with an integrated sensor suite to provide intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, according to the New York Post.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Captain Bill Urban, a US Central Command spokesman, declined to comment directly when asked about the claim. However, he told the Associated Press: “There was no drone over Iranian territory.”
The news comes days after Washington announced it was sending 1,000 troops to the Middle East in response to what it described as “hostile behaviour” by Tehran’s forces. The US accuses Iran of attacking two tankers in the Gulf of Oman with mines. Tehran denies involvement.
Last week, the US military alleged Iran fired a missile at another drone that responded to the attack on the two oil tankers.
The Washington Post says recent events have sparked fears that a “miscalculation or further rise in tensions could push the U.S. and Iran into an open conflict, some 40 years after Tehran’s Islamic Revolution”.
Tensions will be inflamed further by news that US President Donald Trump has been briefed on a missile strike in Saudi Arabia that appeared to come from Yemen. Iran-aligned Houthis in Yemen have escalated missile and drone attacks on Saudi cities in recent weeks.
The outgoing White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said: “We are closely monitoring the situation and continuing to consult with our partners and allies.”
-
China is silently expanding its influence in American citiesUnder the Radar New York City and San Francisco, among others, have reportedly been targeted
-
How China uses 'dark fleets' to circumvent trade sanctionsThe Explainer The fleets are used to smuggle goods like oil and fish
-
Iran still has enriched uranium, Israeli official saysSpeed Read It remains unclear how long it would take Iran to rebuild its nuclear program following US and Israeli attacks
-
IAEA: Iran could enrich uranium 'within months'Speed Read The chief United Nations nuclear inspector, Rafael Grossi, says Iran could be enriching uranium again soon
-
One year after mass protests, why are Kenyans taking to the streets again?today's big question More than 60 protesters died during demonstrations in 2024
-
Iran nukes program set back months, early intel suggestsSpeed Read A Pentagon assessment says US bombing of Iranian nuclear sites only set the program back by months, not years. This contradicts President Donald Trump's claim.
-
Trump says Iran and Israel agreed to ceasefireSpeed Read This followed a night of Israeli airstrikes on Tehran and multiple waves of missiles fired by Iran
-
How developed was Iran's nuclear program and what's left now?Today's Big Question Israel and the United States have said different things about Iran's capabilities
