US spy drone shot down near Hormuzgan city: Iran’ IRGC

Tehran, June 20: Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) claimed it shot down an American spy drone which it intercepted flying over the nation’s airspace in the southern city of Hormuzgan, according to state-run media reports on Thursday.

As per state-run Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) reports, the IRGC has shot down the Northrop Grumman RQ-4 Global Hawk spy drone, after it crossed near the Kouhmobarak in the Iranian airspace.

However, no confirmatory report has been issued yet about the move from the United States, though a US central command spokesperson has insisted “there was no drone over Iranian territory”, according to ANI news reports.

The US has blamed Tehran for the suspected and reported damaged oil tankers attacks near the disputed Strait of Hormuz, leaving one of the vessels ablaze and both adrift.

The United States military has on Tuesday released some new images that showed the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) removing unexploded mine from a Japanese-owned oil tanker, following the last week’s two oil tankers attack in the Gulf of Oman.

The images which were released on Monday showed a hole on the Kokuka Courageous vessel’s side. The latest release of images follows the last Thursday’s released grainy video which Washington said depicted Iran’s IRGC trying to remove an unexploded mine from the Japanese vessel.

In an official statement, including some still images, the US army’s Central Command said, “Iran is responsible for the attack based on video evidence and the resources and proficiency needed to quickly remove the unexploded limpet mine.”