Iran says its air defence system shot down two US MQ-9 drones over Qeshm island, in the Strait of Hormuz, in a claim that adds to the US-Iran conflict at a time of existing regional tension. The claim was carried by Iranian state television, and the key details remain unverified.
What Iran has said
Iranian state television reported that the country's air defences targeted both American drones above the island and destroyed them. The report did not say what missions the drones were flying or where exactly they were hit. Earlier, Iran's state news agency cited local witnesses who said two projectiles had landed or struck in the Souza area of Qeshm.
What remains unconfirmed
US officials have neither confirmed nor denied the claim. No independent verification of the drones' destruction or of the incident's details is available, so the account rests on Iranian state media and the witness accounts relayed by the state news agency.
Qeshm lies in the Strait of Hormuz, an important sea route for the global shipment of oil and gas. Any military incident in the area could add to strain in a region that is already tense. Further details have yet to emerge.
Aasan alfaaz mein
Iran ka dawa hai ke usne Qeshm jazeere ke oopar do American MQ-9 drones mar girae. US hukam ki taraf se is dawe ki tasdeeq ya tardeed abhi samne nahi aayi, aur tafseelat ka azad tor par tasdeeq nahi hui. Strait of Hormuz tel aur gas ki tijarat ka ahem raasta hai, is liye is ilaqe mein tanao ka asar tel ki qeemton par bhi pad sakta hai.
