IRGC Downs MQ-1 Predator in Latest Blow to U.S. Military

Date: 31 May 2026 - 22:25

News ID: ۱۵۰۵۴۰

TEHRAN — The Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) announced on Sunday that it has shot down a U.S. MQ-1 Predator drone over the Persian Gulf, marking the latest in a series of American aircraft losses since the outbreak of hostilities on February 28, 2026.
The IRGC Public Relations Department said in a statement that the multi-mission, long-endurance remotely piloted aircraft was detected and destroyed in the early hours of Sunday as it encroached upon Iranian skies.
The drone was immediately tracked by IRGC air defense systems and targeted by advanced surface-to-air missiles before it could carry out any act of aggression.
“Iranian airspace over the country’s territorial waters is under full control of its air defense units, and any intrusion will be met with a decisive response,” the IRGC statement warned.
The downing of the MQ-1 Predator came just one day after the Iranian Army’s air defense units intercepted and destroyed an enemy Orbiter drone belonging to the “aggressor U.S.-Zionist enemy” over Qeshm Island in southern Iran.
The compact, lightweight drone was tracked and downed by army air defense systems operating within Iran’s integrated joint air defense network.
Earlier in the week on May 26, the IRGC announced it had shot down a U.S. MQ-9 Reaper drone while also firing at an RQ-4 Global Hawk surveillance aircraft and an F-35 stealth fighter jet, forcing them to flee Iranian airspace.
The IRGC asserted that Iran has a “legitimate and indisputable right” to respond to any action by the U.S. that violates the ceasefire agreement.
A report published by the Congressional Research Service (CRS), the nonpartisan research arm of the U.S. Congress, has formally acknowledged that American forces lost or sustained
significant damage to 42 aircraft during the war on Iran. The report represents the first official American institutional admission of aerial losses at this scale.
According to the CRS report, which compiled data from news reports and statements by the Department of Defense and CENTCOM, four F-15E Strike Eagle fighter jets were completely destroyed. The F-15E is a dual-role fighter designed for both air-to-air combat and ground attacks, with each aircraft valued at approximately $90 million.
One F-35A Lightning II, America’s most expensive and technologically advanced stealth aircraft, was severely damaged by Iranian ground-based air defense fire. The F-35A, which carries a price tag of roughly $110 million per unit, marked the first time a fifth-generation stealth fighter has been damaged by enemy ground fire in combat history.
One A-10 Thunderbolt II ground-attack aircraft, commonly known as the “Warthog,” was destroyed. The A-10 is specifically designed for close air support and is considered one of the most durable aircraft in the U.S. inventory, yet Iranian air defenses successfully brought one down.
The CRS report also documented significant losses among support aircraft, which are critical to sustaining combat operations. Seven KC-135 Stratotanker aerial refueling aircraft were either damaged or destroyed, with two confirmed destroyed and five returning to base with serious damage. Each KC-135 is valued at approximately $60 million.
One E-3 Sentry AWACS surveillance aircraft, the flying command center that coordinates air operations and tracks enemy aircraft, was significantly damaged. The E-3 Sentry carries a radar system capable of detecting aircraft hundreds of miles away and is valued at approximately $270 million per unit.
Two MC-130J Commando II special operations aircraft, used for infiltrating and resupplying special forces teams, were lost. One HH-60W combat rescue helicopter, specifically designed to recover downed pilots from hostile territory, was also damaged.
Unmanned aerial systems accounted for the bulk of American aviation losses. According to the CRS report, the U.S. military lost 24 MQ-9 Reaper drones during intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance operations over heavily defended Iranian territory.
The MQ-9 Reaper is a remotely piloted aircraft used primarily for strike missions and long-endurance surveillance. Each MQ-9 Reaper is valued at approximately $30 million, meaning drone losses alone exceed $720 million.
One MQ-4C Triton high-altitude, long-endurance surveillance drone was also destroyed. The Triton, a naval surveillance variant of the Global Hawk, is designed to fly at altitudes exceeding 50,000 feet for more than 24 hours and carries a price tag of approximately $180 million per unit.
The heaviest single day of American aircraft losses occurred on April 3, 2026. Iranian air defense units successfully shot down two U.S. F-15E Strike Eagle fighter jets, one A-10 Thunderbolt II attack aircraft, and multiple MQ-9 Reaper drones.
According to NBC News, the first F-15E downed over southwestern Iran was likely hit by a shoulder-fired MANPADS missile, a weapon system that had not previously been confirmed in Iran’s inventory.
Both crew members of that F-15E allegedly ejected safely. NBC News also reported that Iran may have received a YLC-8B long-range radar from China capable of detecting stealth aircraft, which would have significantly enhanced Tehran’s ability to track advanced U.S. warplanes.
A second U.S. Air Force A-10 Thunderbolt II “Warthog” was also damaged by Iranian fire on April 3 while participating in the search-and-rescue mission for the downed fighter jet’s crew.
Beyond the CRS report, American media outlets have documented additional losses that the Pentagon has been reluctant to confirm publicly. The New York Times reported that a U.S. Air Force A-10 Thunderbolt II went down on April 3 while participating in the search-and-rescue mission for the downed F-15E crew.
The Intercept published an investigation revealing that the Pentagon has systematically undercounted casualties and losses, including damage to aircraft that were repaired and returned to service but had nevertheless been taken out of combat for extended periods.
One U.S. government official told The Intercept that the Pentagon’s official figures do not capture the full scope of equipment losses because the Pentagon has defined “damaged” in narrow terms that exclude many aircraft that sustained significant but repairable harm.
The total number of American aircraft lost or damaged in the Iran conflict now stands at 42, according to the Congressional Research Service report, making it one of the cost periods for U.S. military aviation since the Vietnam War.
The losses have raised serious questions about the vulnerability of American air power to integrated air defense systems deployed by regional powers.