United States Air Force MQ-9 Reaper Shot down

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said on 31 August 2026 that its air defences had destroyed a US MQ-9 Reaper over the Strait of Hormuz, stating that the aircraft was hit by missile fire and fell into the Persian Gulf. Iranian outlets attributed the engagement to a recently fielded mobile air-defence system. There was no confirmation from US Central Command, and the operating unit has not been identified. The claim came hours after US forces struck IRGC rocket launchers on Larak Island and shortly before the IRGC announced a combined ballistic-missile and drone attack on two US air bases in Jordan.