Iran's IRGC claims to have shot down US MQ-9 drone following airstrikes

(CNA, Tehran, May 26) Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) claimed today that it shot down a US MQ-9 Reaper drone and fired on other military aircraft that entered Iranian airspace. The US military had conducted airstrikes in southern Iran yesterday, targeting missile launch sites and minelaying vessels. According to AFP, the IRGC released a statement on its news website, Sepah News, stating that US military aircraft entered Iranian airspace over the Persian Gulf, and the IRGC's air defense units detected and shot down an MQ-9 drone. The statement also mentioned that IRGC units fired on an RQ-4 Global Hawk drone and an F-35 fighter jet, though it did not specify the exact time of the incidents. The IRGC also warned in the statement that it would retaliate against any violations of the ceasefire agreement.