Iran Claims It Shot Down U.S. MQ-1 Predator Drone and Seized Unmanned Submersible

[Financial News]  

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) claimed on the 8th local time that it had shot down a U.S. military MQ-1 Predator drone.
Al Jazeera, citing a report by Iranian state broadcaster IRIB, said the IRGC Air Force claimed in a statement that it had shot down an MQ-1 over the Strait of Hormuz.
The MQ-1 is a U.S. unmanned drone used mainly for reconnaissance and surveillance. The United States Air Force (USAF) is known to have officially retired the Predator in 2018. The MQ-1 that Iran claims to have shot down may have been operated by another agency, such as the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), rather than the USAF, or could be an upgraded model still in service, such as the General Atomics MQ-1C Gray Eagle. 
The USAF’s main reconnaissance and strike drone is currently the General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper.
The United States has not commented on the IRGC’s claim.
Earlier, the IRGC Navy claimed that it had seized a U.S. military advanced unmanned submersible in the Strait of Hormuz.
According to the Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) and other Iranian state media, the IRGC announced in a statement that it had seized one of the U.S. military’s most advanced smart unmanned submersibles at the entrance to the Strait of Hormuz that morning. The statement said the submersible was equipped with the latest underwater technology and was scheduled to be delivered to the U.S. military in 2025.
Sefa News, a media outlet linked to the IRGC, reported that the seized submersible was the autonomous unmanned submersible Dive-LD, developed by U.S. defense contractor Anduril Industries.
According to Sefa News, the Dive-LD is approximately 5.8 meters long and weighs 3 tons. It can conduct autonomous operations in deep water for up to 10 days. Manufacturer specifications state that it can dive to a maximum depth of 6,000 meters, while its 3D-printed components and modular design allow various sensors and mission equipment to be quickly attached and detached.


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