The IRGC Navy’s public relations office said its electronic warfare unit detected and identified the aircraft before seizing control of its systems and bringing it safely to the ground.

According to the statement, the drone was assigned to identify Iran’s air defense systems along the Persian Gulf coastline and the Strait of Hormuz.

Data recovered from the aircraft indicated that it had taken off from the coast of one of the southern Persian Gulf littoral states, the IRGC Navy said.

The reported capture follows an earlier announcement by the IRGC Aerospace Force that it had intercepted and destroyed an advanced US MQ-1 drone over the Strait of Hormuz.

The force said the aircraft was brought down using a new air defense system operating under the control of Iran’s Integrated Air-Defense Network.

The latest incident comes amid escalating tensions between Iran and the United States over the Strait of Hormuz, a strategically vital maritime passage for global energy shipments.

The Strait of Hormuz has remained under Iranian control amid the standoff. Iranian authorities have underscored that any path forward must begin with the US ending its interventionist actions and fulfilling its obligations, rather than pursuing new or revised formulas that ignore Tehran’s demands.

Over the past decade, Iranian forces have successfully downed or captured several high-value US assets, including the RQ-170 Sentinel stealth drone, MQ-9 Reaper drones, and various underwater gliders and surface vessels in the Persian Gulf.