WANA (Sep 01) – The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) announced that its forces have begun a retaliatory operation in response to recent U.S. attacks on areas in southern Iran, stating that an advanced U.S. MQ-9 drone was downed in the first operation using a new aerospace defense system.

 

According to the IRGC statement, the destroyed drone was the 50th U.S. MQ-9 aircraft to be brought down by Iranian forces.

 

The IRGC said that the recent U.S. strikes on several locations along Iran’s southern coast had strengthened the resolve of Iranian forces to confront foreign military presence in the region.

 

The statement said that “IRGC fighters have begun a decisive response against the aggressors,” adding that further details and the results of the operations would be announced in subsequent statements.

 

The IRGC also emphasized that its military operations would continue, saying that additional reports on the progress and outcomes of the missions would be made public.