Iran’s IRGC claims it shot down US’ MQ-9 drone in Ahvaz

Tehran: Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) said on Sunday that it has intercepted and shot down the United States’ MQ-9 drone in Iran’s Ahvaz, local media reported.

The advanced air‑defence system operated by the IRGC Aerospace Force under the command of Iran’s integrated air defence network shot down the MQ‑9 drone, Iran’s Tasnim News Agency said. The announcement comes as Iran continues to carry out retaliatory action against the US military targets in West Asia.

Meanwhile, Commander of the central Khatam al‑Anbiya headquarters, Major General Ali Abdollahi, has warned that Iran’s Armed Forces will give a devastating response to the US for any act of aggression, Iran’s official Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) said.

Abdollahi said that Iran will give a decisive and destructive response to any act of greed, bullying, expansionism, or brutality, and it will face costs “heavier than those of the second and third imposed wars.”

He termed Iran’s defensive power as a guarantee of nationwide security and a foundation allowing officials to work for the welfare of the people of Iran, IRNA reported.

Abdollahi said that the US, after facing repeated military failures, is trying to create division between the people and officials. He described Iran’s internal unity as the key to defeating this “satanic scheme.”

On Saturday, Iran’s IRGC said that it has attacked a US base in Jordan, targeted a fuel supply dock in Kuwait and destroyed a data centre in Bahrain, state media reported.

The Sahargah Corps Aerospace Force of the IRGC has conducted attacks on fighter jet shelters and a large parking ramp at the American base in Al-Azraq, Jordan, news agency Sepah reported. It said that the attack destroyed at least two fighter jets and three American aircraft, and caused major damage to some of them with a simultaneous missile and drone attack.

In a different statement, the IRGC claimed that on Friday night, its Navy targeted the US fleet’s fuel supply dock in Bandar Al-Ahmadi, Kuwait, and the warplane gathering place in Bahrain’s Sheikh Isa with its drone and missile strikes, destroying an intelligence data centre in Bahrain named Batelco.

According to the statement, IRGC Navy fighters also destroyed a US signals and communications centre in Kuwait.

Late on Friday, the US CENTCOM said in a post on social media platform X that US forces ended the seventh consecutive night of strikes against Iran.

“US forces ended the seventh consecutive night of strikes against Iran on July 17 at 9:30 pm ET. US Central Command (CENTCOM) hit surveillance sites, military logistics infrastructure, underground weapons storage, and maritime capabilities. US forces employed fighter aircraft, aerial drones, and warships in addition to other assets,” CENTCOM noted on X.

According to Iran’s state media, three people were killed and eight others injured in the latest US strikes.

IANS