The Zioneer Intelligence Desk reports that wreckage of a US Air National Guard MQ-9A Reaper drone was observed over the city of Khomeyn, Iran, after the aircraft was shot down on September 1. The report is based on a single source and has not been independently verified. No further details on the circumstances or who was responsible were disclosed.
The Zioneer Intelligence Desk has obtained a report indicating that the wreckage of a U.S. Air National Guard MQ-9A Reaper unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV) was located over the city of Khomeyn, Iran, following its downing on September 1. The aircraft, operated by the reserve component of the U.S. Air Force, is a long-endurance drone used for surveillance and precision strikes. The report does not specify which Iranian air defense system may have been involved or provide details on any associated mission.
This incident joins a series of claimed or confirmed downings of U.S. MQ-9 Reapers. As The Zioneer has previously reported, Iranian air defenses have claimed the downing of Reaper drones in at least three separate incidents since June 2026 — over Isfahan, Hamadan, and Karbala, Iraq. In July, Iran reported the destruction of an MQ-9 over Hamadan, and in June, Shiite sources claimed another was shot down over Karbala. The Pentagon has not yet commented on the current claim regarding Khomeyn, and no independent confirmation or footage has emerged.
The location of the reported downing — Khomeyn, in central Iran — is an area previously associated with Iranian ballistic missile development, though the affiliation of the drone remains unconfirmed beyond the single source. The Zioneer continues to monitor for official statements from the U.S. Department of Defense and for further evidence.
2 developments
- DevelopingIranian IRGC-affiliated media report interception of US MQ-9 drone over Khormuj, Bushehr
- DevelopingIRGC claims it shot down US MQ-9 drone over Andimeshk, Khuzestan
- DevelopingIRGC Says Its Air Defense Systems Intercepted MQ-9 Drone Over Strait of Hormuz
- StrongIran publishes footage of MQ-9 drone interception over Bushehr Province
Source and signal
A single-sourced dispatch is never rated Confirmed or Strong. Its Signal strengthens only when a second, independent source corroborates it.
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