The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps claimed it intercepted and destroyed an American MQ-1 drone over the Strait of Hormuz.

In a statement that Iranian news agencies published, the IRGC claimed that the United States had retired the MQ-1 drones, but after losing a large number of more advanced MQ-9 drones, it was forced to put these drones back into service.

The statement said: “Both types are being widely hunted by the new air defense system of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.”

This is the latest in several similar claims made in recent weeks.

The U.S. Air Force retired the MQ-1 Predator drone eight years ago, but the U.S. Army still uses the MQ-1C Gray Eagle, the larger and more advanced version of the same drone.

The U.S. Central Command had confirmed the downing of an “MQ-1” drone on Khordad 10 without specifying its version. In response, U.S. forces targeted radar installations and command centers for the drone on Qeshm Island.