Iran says it shot down US drone and warns against ceasefire violations

The IRGC (Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps of Iran) claimed this Tuesday (26) to have shot down a United States MQ-9 drone after it entered Iranian airspace, according to a statement released by state media.

In a report read on Iranian state broadcaster IRIB, the IRGC Public Affairs Department also claimed to have repelled other American aircraft and warned that it would respond to any further violations of its territory or the terms of the ceasefire.

The move comes after US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Tuesday that negotiating a deal with Iran could "take a few days", dampening hopes of an imminent end to the conflict, after US forces carried out what they called defensive strikes in southern Iran.

Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman had previously stated that conclusions had been reached on many topics discussed in a possible 14-point memorandum of understanding, but this did not mean that an agreement to end the war would be reached soon.

New attacks
The United States military carried out what it called "self-defense attacks" on Monday night (26) against missile launch sites and Iranian vessels around the Strait of Hormuz.

Iranian state media outlets classified the attacks as a violation of the current ceasefire agreement. Forces from Tehran and Washington had previously exchanged fire during the ceasefire.

The recent US strikes came while Iran's chief negotiator and foreign minister were in Doha for talks with Qatar's prime minister on a possible deal with the US to end the three-month war, an official familiar with the visit said.

In a post on Truth Social on Monday (25), US President Donald Trump said negotiations with Iran were going "well", but warned of further attacks if they failed. "There will only be one Big Deal for everyone or no deal at all," he wrote.

Analysis: US attacks on Iran expose fragility in negotiations | WW

Source: CNN