IRGC shoots down US Global Hawk drone over Persian Gulf

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) claimed on Thursday morning to have shot down a Global Hawk spy drone flying over its southern shores.

 

"In the early hours of this morning (Thursday 20 June) one American spy drone, 'Global Hawk', was fired on by IRGC anti-aircraft system and shot down after breaching the Islamic Republic of Iran's airspace in an area opposite the Mubarak Mountain in Hormozgan Province," a statement from the IRGC read. 

 

U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) spokesman Capt. Bill Urban declined to comment when asked if an American drone was shot down. Speaking to Associated Press, he said “there was no drone over Iranian territory.” 

 

However, a US official later confirmed to Reuters that a US military drone had been shot down in international airspace over Strait of Hormuz by Iranian surface-to-air missile. 

 

News of the incident was carried by IRNA, the official government news agency, the semi-official Farsnews, and Tasnim News, affiliated with the Guards. If true, the incident will heighten US-Iran tension in a Persian Gulf that is already reeling from the attacks on two tankers.

 

Last week, the U.S. military accused Iran of firing a missile at another drone , responding to the attack on the oil tankers near the Gulf of Oman.

 

IRNA, citing the Guard, identified the drone as an RQ-4 Global Hawk.

 

Image: Sarkawt Mohammed / Rudaw

 

The IRGC claims that the drone was flying over the Kouh-e Mobarak region of Hormuzgan province, according to Tasnim.

IRGC affilated news outlets claimed that the Guard used the 'Third of Khordad' mobile air system to shoot down the drone. 

 

The US maintains Al Dhafra, an airbase near Abu Dhabi, it was confirmed in 2017. 

 

The base, home to the 380th Air Expeditionary Wing, was "the busiest base in the world for U.S. Air Force surveillance " during US participation in the war on Islamic State, operating spy planes such as the U-2, E-3 Sentry airborne warning and control system, or AWACS; seven RQ-4 Global Hawk unmanned surveillance aircraft; and two Navy Battle Area Management System aircraft, the Navy's variant of the Global Hawk. 

 

Ali Shamkhani, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council said yesterday in Russia that “Iranian airspace is a red line irrespective of which country breaches it. We will respond firmly to the violator.” 

 

US-Iran tensions have soared in recent days as Washington deployed yet more troops to the Gulf region following attacks on two oil tankers in the Gulf of Oman. The US and its allies blame the attacks on Iran, but Tehran strenuously rejects the charges.

 

Washington and Tehran have been at loggerheads since May last year when President Donald Trump withdrew from the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Actions (JCPOA), also known as the Iran nuclear deal, leaving the Europeans and other signatories of the deal to pick up the pieces.

 

Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) warned yesterday that the two month ultimatum Tehran gave to remaining members of the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Actions (JCPOA) will not be extended - despite Iran’s oil minister Bijan Zanganeh admitting that the situation has become ‘very difficult’ for oil exports. 

 

Under relentless US pressure, Iranian oil exports have now fallen to below 500,000 barrel per day (bpd). Washington rescinded the six month waivers that were given to eight major customers of Iranian oil in early May.

 

Iran confirmed it will exceed its JCPOA-specified uranium stockpile limit within the next ten days, the AEOI said on Monday.

 

Updated at 12:00pm