Kuhestak:Iran's Army Navy has announced the successful interception and destruction of a US MQ-1 drone. The drone was shot down using an advanced air defense system near the coastal area of Kuhestak in southern Hormozgan Province.

According to Islamic Republic News Agency, the Navy's statement on Friday detailed that the drone, identified as belonging to the US, was targeted by the country's integrated air defense network. The interception occurred along the coast of Sirik, east of the Strait of Hormuz, after the unmanned aerial vehicle was successfully tracked in the Kuhestak area.

The MQ-1 Predator, developed by General Atomics, is a medium-altitude, long-endurance remotely piloted aircraft mainly operated by the US Air Force. Although the US Air Force retired its MQ-1 Predator fleet in 2018 in favor of the MQ-9 Reaper, the US has returned to using MQ-1 drones for aerial surveillance and reconnaissance. This shift occurred after significant losses were inflicted on the MQ-9 Reaper fleet by Iran's Armed Forces during US-Israeli operations.