Tehran, Iran, November 14 (ANI): Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has claimed that it intercepted and destroyed the 17th American MQ-1 drone over Qeshm Island, while the Iranian Navy said two oil tankers caught fire in the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday after allegedly striking naval mines in restricted waters, according to the Iranian news agency IRIB’s Telegram channel.
In a statement, the IRGC’s Public Relations Department said the American MQ-1 drone was intercepted and destroyed at around 2:30 p.m. local time on Saturday by its “new advanced aerospace defense system” over Qeshm Island.
The IRGC further claimed that the incident marked another failure of “enemy reconnaissance missions,” stating that an “invading US military reconnaissance and combat drone from the MQ-1 family” had been destroyed by the IRGC Aerospace Force.
Meanwhile, the Iranian Navy claimed that a second tanker caught fire Saturday morning, marking the fifth such incident in 24 hours involving vessels either struck by Iran or hitting naval mines while attempting to transit the Strait of Hormuz.
In a statement shared on IRIB’s Telegram channel, the Army Navy’s Public Relations Department said the second tanker caught fire Saturday after entering a “restricted” area east of the Strait of Hormuz.
It further claimed that the eastern part of the Strait of Hormuz was “completely under the control and surveillance of the Iranian Navy.”
“Fires and explosions are the fate of offending ships that turn off their tracking systems and travel in prohibited areas,” the statement said.
Earlier, before the second tanker incident, IRIB reported that another oil tanker had caught fire in the same area after allegedly striking a naval mine.
According to the Iranian Navy, the vessel had been operating in an unsafe and prohibited area east of the Strait of Hormuz, ignoring previous warnings and switching off its tracking and identification systems.
The Navy said the tanker caught fire and stopped after striking a naval mine.
“Without a doubt, any offending tanker that travels in the restricted area east of the Strait of Hormuz will be set on fire by hitting naval mines,” the statement said.
The statement also criticized tanker owners for sending their vessels into the restricted area, alleging that they were relying on assurances from US President Donald Trump despite the risks.
“It is unfortunate that tanker owners, without learning from the fate of other offending vessels, trusting the nonsense of the criminal US president, are sending their capital into the mine war and throwing it into the fire,” it said.
The claims made by Iranian state media and military authorities could not be independently verified.
The developments come amid escalating tensions involving Iran, the United States and Israel, with the Strait of Hormuz emerging as a major flashpoint in the ongoing conflict.
Iran has imposed restrictions on maritime traffic through the waterway following the US-Israeli military campaign against the country, which began on February 28. Tehran has maintained that vessels must obtain authorization from Iranian authorities to ensure safe passage.
The Strait of Hormuz is a strategically significant international shipping route through which a substantial share of the world’s oil supply is transported.
The latest claims also follow Iran’s assertion that its IRGC Aerospace Force destroyed a US early-warning radar installation in Bahrain in retaliation for an alleged American attack on telecommunications infrastructure in Iran’s Sirik region.
However, US Central Command (CENTCOM) rejected the claim, stating that two Iranian attack drones targeting Bahrain had been intercepted, causing no injuries or damage.
In a post on X, CENTCOM said, “The IRGC launched two one-way attack drones toward Bahrain, and both were shot down by US forces. There were no injuries or damage.” (ANI)
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