all eyes on iran
Iran shoots down U.S. drone near Strait of Hormuz
Iran and the U.S. agree that Iran's paramilitary Islamic Republican Guard Corps (IRGC) shot down a U.S. drone early Thursday, but the two countries offered different versions of the type of drone and where it was flying when hit with Iran's surface-to-air missile. Iran said it brought down a U.S. Navy RQ-4 Global Hawk "spy" drone after it crossed into Iranian airspace, but U.S. officials tell Reuters that the MQ-4C Triton reconnaissance drone was in international airspace over the Strait of Hormuz.
Tensions are high between Iran and the U.S. after a series of tanker attacks the U.S. blames on Iran, following punishing U.S. sanctions and efforts to scuttle an international 2015 nuclear deal. IRGC commander Gen. Hossein Salami said in a televised speech that the "the downing of the American drone was a clear message to America" that "our borders are our red line" and "any enemy that violates the borders will be annihilated." Iran doesn't "have any intention for war with any country, but we are fully ready for war," he added.