Iran shoots down US MQ-9 drone over Strait of Hormuz after denying talks
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Iran’s Revolutionary Guards shot down a US MQ-9 Reaper drone over the Strait of Hormuz on Monday, hours after Tehran denied that any negotiations with Washington were underway. The downing followed President Trump’s announcement that US-Iran talks would resume on Monday afternoon, an assertion Iran’s foreign ministry dismissed as false. Contradictory messages from both capitals deepen uncertainty in the Gulf.
The Drone Incident
Fars News Agency reported that IRGC Aerospace Force air defense systems detected and destroyed a US MQ-9 Reaper drone in the Strait of Hormuz skies. The MQ-9 is a remotely piloted aircraft used for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions. No official confirmation was immediately issued by Iranian authorities. The Strait, a critical waterway for global oil shipments, has been a flashpoint for US-Iran military encounters.
Conflicting Accounts
President Trump told reporters on his return to Washington that US-Iranian negotiations would restart on Monday afternoon, following the suspension of a planned military strike he described as the largest since World War II. He cited requests from Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Turkey and Iran for the strike to be halted. Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Ismail Bekayi categorically denied any talks with the United States, saying Iran was engaged only with Oman on creating a temporary safe transit corridor in the Strait. Bekayi stated that an agreement with Oman was near, but warned that maritime traffic would not fully normalize until the US ended its aggressive actions.
What's Next
The UN Security Council is expected to discuss the incident in closed consultations on Tuesday, but no formal resolution is anticipated. It remains unclear whether the shootdown will derail Oman-mediated efforts to secure navigation in the Strait.
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Iran shoots down US MQ-9 drone over Strait of Hormuz after denying talks
