Iran says it shot down US-made RQ-11 Raven drone

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said Friday it shot down a US-made RQ-11 Raven reconnaissance drone in the southwestern city of Ramshir in Khuzestan province amid heightened tensions with Washington.

In a statement carried by Tasnim News Agency, the IRGC said the AeroVironment RQ-11 Raven was "intercepted and destroyed" by an advanced air defense system operating within Iran's integrated air defense network.

The statement described the RQ-11 Raven as a lightweight tactical reconnaissance drone manufactured by US company AeroVironment for surveillance, reconnaissance and intelligence-gathering missions.

It said the drone is capable of transmitting real-time daytime and nighttime imagery to a ground control station and, with an operational range of about 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) and an endurance of 60 to 90 minutes, is used for target reconnaissance, battlefield monitoring, battle damage assessment and tactical support.

The IRGC said the drone is widely used by the US military and other countries because of its light weight, portability and rapid deployment, describing it as one of the world's most successful small military drone systems.

The US military did not immediately comment on the Iranian claim.

Tensions between the US and Iran have escalated in recent weeks over the Strait of Hormuz, with the two sides exchanging attacks despite a Pakistan-mediated memorandum of understanding aimed at ending the conflict and reaching a lasting peace agreement.