Iranian forces have shot down a United States military drone today, a move that could escalate an already tense relationship between the two countries.
If you’re just catching up on the news, here’s where things stand now:
What happened: Both the US and Iran say Iranian forces shot down a US drone. However, the two countries have given different reports on where it went down.
What Iran is saying: Iran’s Revolutionary Guard said it had shot down an “intruding American spy drone” after it entered into the country’s territory Thursday. They added that the downed drone was a US-made RQ-4 Global Hawk.
What the US is saying: A US official confirmed a drone had been shot down, but said the incident occurred in international airspace over the Strait of Hormuz. The US said the drone was a US official said it was a MQ-4C Triton.
Where US-Iran relations stand: Relations between the two adversaries have taken a dangerous turn this week, beginning with the Trump administration’s decision Monday to deploy 1,000 additional troops and more military resources to the Middle East. US officials have also blamed Iran for conducting attacks against oil tankers in the Gulf of Oman.
