Iran downs US MQ-1 drone over Strait of Hormuz: Report

Iranian air defenses shot down a US MQ-1 drone over the Strait of Hormuz, the semi-official Fars news agency reported Tuesday.

The drone was detected and targeted by the Iranian army’s air defense units stationed in the country’s southeast while flying over the strategic waterway, Fars said.

It was tracked by air defense systems operating under Iran’s integrated air defense network before being hit and destroyed, according to the agency.

Fars said the drone was downed using domestically developed air defense systems, adding that further details on the incident will be announced later.

In a statement carried by Iran's state-run broadcaster IRIB, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) also said that its naval forces seized a US unmanned submarine at the entrance to the Strait of Hormuz early Tuesday.

There was no immediate comment from the US on the reports.

The reported incident comes amid heightened tensions between Iran and the US over the Strait of Hormuz, where the two countries have remained at odds over navigation through the strategic waterway.

Iran and Oman have been holding talks on a temporary safe transit route through the strait, while Tehran has accused Washington of failing to fulfill its commitments under the Islamabad memorandum of understanding.

​The latest incident also comes amid continuing military exchanges between Iran and the US which resumed in July after a brief halt in hostilities.