Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said it struck 85 American military targets in Bahrain and Kuwait and shot down a US MQ-9 Reaper drone, according to a report by Abu Ali Express. The claim, which the IRGC framed as an initial response to US strikes, appears to match the number of targets the US said it hit earlier. The statement is unverified.
The IRGC's claim of downing an American MQ-9 Reaper drone, reported this morning by the Israel-based outlet Abu Ali Express, is the latest iteration of a claim first made by the IRGC earlier today. The IRGC had already included the drone downing in its initial statement at 06:44 Jerusalem, when it said it struck 85 US targets and shot down an MQ-9. The new report adds no independent verification.
The Zioneer first reported the IRGC's claim at 06:44 Jerusalem, citing the IRGC's own statement. At the same time, Israeli media outlet N12 reported the same claim. Shortly after, Bahrain and Kuwait announced that their air defense systems had intercepted most of the threats, though neither country's statement specifically addressed the drone claim. The credibility of the IRGC's assertions has been challenged repeatedly: The Zioneer reported on June 10 that US officials dismissed a similar IRGC claim of 21 successful hits as "completely untrue."
The IRGC has made a series of escalating claims since the US struck Iranian targets near the Strait of Hormuz on June 28. The Zioneer reported on June 28 that the IRGC claimed a combined missile and drone strike on eight US facilities in Kuwait and Bahrain, and on June 11 that it claimed 18 American targets hit in two overnight waves. US officials have consistently denied that any significant damage was inflicted on US assets.
This latest claim from the IRGC, now reported by a second outlet, remains unverified by any independent source. No US official comment has been reported, and the Pentagon has not acknowledged any loss of an MQ-9 Reaper. The specific number of 85 targets mirrors the number of Iranian targets the US said it struck, a detail that suggests a rhetorical rather than operational response.
5 developments
- StrongIRGC claims it struck five military bases in Jordan, Kuwait, and Bahrain
- DevelopingIRGC says it struck US Fifth Fleet HQ in Bahrain with suicide drones
- DevelopingIRGC claims ballistic missile strike on US forces departing Bahrain
- DevelopingIRGC claims 18 American military targets hit in two overnight strike waves
Source and signal
- Internal intake