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Iranian military claims to have shot down US spy drone US confirms Iranian missile has shot down drone
(about 2 hours later)
Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) claim to have shot down a US spy drone over Iranian airspace. A US military drone has been shot down by an Iranian surface-to-air missile while in international airspace over the Strait of Hormuz, US officials say.
State media reported the military hit a drone, which they named as a RQ-4 Global Hawk, near Kuhmobarak in Iran's southern Hormozgan province. One official told Reuters news agency the drone was a US Navy MQ-4C Triton.
The US military has not confirmed if a drone was hit, but a spokesman denied its aircraft were in Iranian airspace. Earlier, Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) said it had shot down a US drone over Iranian airspace, near Kuhmobarak in the southern province of Hormozgan.
It comes days after the Pentagon said it was deploying 1,000 extra troops to the region amid tension. It comes at a time of escalating tension between the US and Iran.
Washington has accused Iran of attacking oil tankers with mines in the Gulf of Oman. On Monday, the US defence department said it was deploying 1,000 extra troops to the region in response to "hostile behaviour" by Iranian forces.
Tensions were further fuelled on Monday when Iran said its stockpile of low-enriched uranium would next week exceed limits it agreed with international powers in 2015. The US has accused Iran of attacking oil tankers with mines in the Gulf of Oman, which is just outside the Strait of Hormuz. Iran says the US claims are fabricated.
Iran stepped up its production in response to tightening economic sanctions from the US, who left the landmark nuclear deal last year. Tensions were further fuelled on Monday when Iran said its stockpile of low-enriched uranium would next week exceed limits it agreed with world powers under a landmark nuclear deal in 2015.
Kuhmobarak, where Iran says it shot down the drone on Thursday, is close to the Strait of Hormuz - a key route for global oil supplies. Iran stepped up its production in response to tightening economic sanctions from the US, which unilaterally withdrew from the deal last year.
Navy Captain Bill Urban, a spokesman for the US military Central Command told the Reuters news agency that "no US aircraft were operating in Iranian airspace today" but declined to comment further.