Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has reported engaging an F-35 fighter jet and downing an American reaper drone amidst escalating tensions during critical peace negotiations. The Islamic Republic stated that it fired on a hostile aircraft entering its airspace, asserting its right to retaliate against ceasefire violations by the US.
This incident follows the US conducting overnight strikes on targets in the Strait of Hormuz, jeopardizing the fragile ceasefire between Washington and Tehran as talks proceed in Qatar. CENTCOM spokesperson Tim Hawkins disclosed that the US forces carried out defensive strikes in southern Iran to safeguard troops from Iranian threats, targeting missile launch sites and Iranian boats attempting to lay mines.
In response to the US strikes, the IRGC announced that they had shot down an MQ-9 Reaper drone and engaged with an RQ-4 drone and an intruding F-35 fighter jet attempting to breach their airspace. The IRGC emphasized that their actions were defensive, asserting their right to counter any ceasefire violations by the US military.