NBC News reports, citing a U.S. source, that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has continued launching attack drones at commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz every night since the U.S.-Iran Memorandum of Understanding was signed Sunday. The drones were intercepted or neutralized by American forces before reaching their targets, according to the report.
NBC News confirmed Wednesday evening, citing a U.S. source, that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has continued launching attack drones toward commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz every night since the U.S.-Iran Memorandum of Understanding was digitally signed on Sunday. All the drones were intercepted or neutralized by American forces before reaching their targets, the report said.
The Wednesday evening confirmation builds on a sequence of reports The Zioneer has tracked since early Wednesday. At 06:15 Jerusalem, the first reports emerged: an Israeli diplomatic source told i24NEWS that Iran had launched several drones toward ships in the strait since the MOU signing and that U.S. forces intercepted all of them (The Zioneer, 06:15). Over the following hours, additional sourcing strengthened the story. At 06:15, a U.S. official told NBC that Iran had launched drones every night since Sunday, and that U.S. forces intercepted them before they posed a threat. That account was further corroborated later Wednesday morning when a senior U.S. official told NBC that the IRGC had launched several UAVs each night toward merchant ships since Sunday, with U.S. forces intercepting all of them (The Zioneer, 11:46 Jerusalem). The Wednesday evening report, also attributed to a U.S. source, affirms the nightly pattern continues.
The MOU was signed Sunday as part of diplomatic efforts to de-escalate tensions in the Persian Gulf and reopen the Strait of Hormuz to unhindered shipping. The sustained nightly drone activity underscores the fragility of the understanding. The Zioneer reported Friday that American warships intercepted two Iranian suicide UAVs targeting commercial vessels in the strait earlier this month. U.S. Central Command has stated that commercial shipping continues to transit the strait.
It remains unclear whether the Iranian drone launches are deliberate violations of the MOU, a routine military posture unrelated to the agreement, or a form of calibrated pressure. The report relies on a single U.S. source attributed by NBC; independent corroboration has not been publicly provided.
7 developments
- ConfirmedCENTCOM intercepts Iranian suicide drones targeting commercial ships in Strait of Hormuz
- StrongCENTCOM: Commercial shipping continues transiting the Strait of Hormuz overnight
- StrongIRGC claims attack on US Fifth Fleet in Bahrain as exchanges continue
- DevelopingUS shot down two Iranian drones after attempted strike on ships in Hormuz, Fox News reports
Source and signal
- Internal intake