The navy of Iran's Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) announced on Thursday in a statement that its electronic warfare unit successfully intercepted and captured a U.S. military spy drone west of the Strait of Hormuz.
According to Iran, its unit managed within the preceding hours to take control of the guidance and navigation systems of a U.S. Army MQM-170 Outlaw "espionage and decoy" drone west of the strait and land it safely.
The drone had been tasked with identifying Iran's air defense systems along the southern coasts, and data recovery showed it had taken off from the coast of a regional country, said the statement.
There was no immediate response from the United States.
On Feb. 28, Israel and the United States launched joint attacks on Tehran and other Iranian cities. Iran responded with waves of missile and drone attacks targeting Israel and U.S. bases and assets in the region, and tightened its grip on the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran claims downing of US MQM-170 drone near Strait of Hormuz
