Iran's army claims it shot down US drone over southern city of Bandar Abbas

Citing an official military briefing, Mehr stated that anti-aircraft contingents stationed in south-eastern Iran detected, tracked and destroyed "a hostile Lucas-type" drone operating within the airspace of Bandar Abbas County in the vicinity of Hajiabad.

The news outlet further noted that the military indicated the shoot-down took place at a time when air defence teams were actively engaged in countering "enemy attacks and securing the country's airspace."

In a significant escalation across the theatre of operations, the United States today released footage documenting its latest military operation against Iran, depicting fighter aircraft launching from aircraft carriers alongside precision strikes on Iranian positions as friction between the two nations continued to intensify.

The video, disseminated by the US Central Command (CENTCOM), followed an announcement by the American military that it had conducted a fresh series of offensive strikes on 12 July, hitting dozens of locations throughout Iran.

According to CENTCOM, the mission was intended to degrade Tehran's capacity to execute assaults on international commercial vessels navigating the strategic Strait of Hormuz.

In an official statement released alongside the footage, CENTCOM detailed that American forces targeted Iranian air defence infrastructure, coastal radar facilities, missile and drone infrastructure, and fast-attack military craft.

The command noted that the engagement utilised fighter jets, naval warships, one-way attack aerial drones, and marked the operational debut of one-way attack sea drones.

Elaborating on the strategic imperatives behind the campaign, "The Strait of Hormuz is a vital maritime corridor for global trade. Iran does not control it," CENTCOM stated.

"US forces are postured and prepared to ensure that freedom of navigation remains available to commercial shipping despite Iran's continued unwarranted aggression, harassment, threats, and arbitrary declarations."

According to the military command, these retaliatory measures were triggered by an Iranian assault on a container vessel in the Strait of Hormuz over the weekend, which left the commercial ship severely damaged by fire and resulted in one crew member going missing.

The situation quickly developed into a multi-front theatre as Tehran asserted that it had launched counter-strikes against multiple American military installations throughout the Middle East.

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps claimed responsibility for targeting the Prince Hassan Air Base in Jordan, a US military drone command hub in Bahrain, and several airbases, including Ali Al Salem in Kuwait, as reported by the Iranian state news agency IRNA.

Underscoring the immediate fallout of these regional retaliations, missile warning sirens were activated across Bahrain early on Monday, leading local authorities to advise citizens to take immediate shelter.

The Gulf kingdom serves as the headquarters of the US Navy's Fifth Fleet.

Official reports have not confirmed any immediate casualties or structural damage from those specific strikes.

Simultaneously, the impact of the initial American barrage was felt across the Iranian mainland, where state media reported that multiple explosions were heard at various sites across the country in the wake of the American bombardment, confirming that at least one individual was killed during the operation. (ANI)