Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) claimed that their air defence systems shot down a US-made MQ-9 Reaper unmanned aerial vehicle over the central city of Isfahan on Tuesday.In a statement, the IRGC said the long-range drone was “intercepted and destroyed” by an advanced system forming part of Iran’s integrated air defence network. Iran’s local media shared a video claiming the attack saying, “The moment of impact and explosion of two MQ-9 drones in the airspace over Isfahan last night.”As tensions in the Middle East escalate, Iran earlier this week also claimed that it destroyed a US E-3 Sentry surveillance aircraft during a March 27 missile and drone strike on Prince Sultan Air Base near Riyadh. The base, a key hub for American military operations, reportedly sustained significant damage, with at least 12 US service members injured. Images circulating on social media purportedly show the aircraft burned out, though the claim has not been independently verified.The aircraft, identified in reports as serial number 81-0005, was parked on a taxiway at the time of the attack. While it is unclear if it was directly hit, defence experts say even a nearby blast could have destroyed it due to shrapnel impact and the high risk of fire, according to military website War Zone.
