Iran Claims It Has Shot Down 73 US MQ-1 and MQ-9 Drones Using Advanced Air Defense Systems
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) claims its air defense forces have destroyed a total of 73 US military drones, including 17 MQ-1 Predator and 56 MQ-9 Reaper aircraft, since the conflict began.
The latest claim came on November 14, when the IRGC announced that it had shot down another US MQ-1 drone over Qeshm Island near the Strait of Hormuz, marking the 17th MQ-1 allegedly destroyed by Iranian forces.
Iranian officials attributed the interceptions to advanced air defense systems developed and operated by the IRGC Aerospace Force, claiming the technology can detect, track and engage US reconnaissance drones operating near Iranian territory.
However, the cumulative figure of 73 remains an Iranian military claim and has not been independently verified. The US military has not publicly confirmed losses on this scale.