A U.S. spy drone retreated from near Iranian airspace after encountering Iranian F-14 fighter jets and reconnaissance drones, Iran’s Nournews reported Monday, citing the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Aerospace Force.
The news outlet reported that Iran’s armed forces remain on high alert and are prepared to attack any unauthorized enemy entry into its airspace.
“Iran will shoot down any enemy aircraft—manned or unmanned—that violates its airspace. We warn the enemy against any provocative actions,” it further added, citing a statement from the IRGC Aerospace Force.
In a post on X, Yossi Mansharof, a senior fellow at Israel’s Misgav Institute for National Security, said Iran’s Supreme National Security Council identified the American aircraft as an MQ-4C reconnaissance drone.
“The Supreme National Security Council claimed last night that an American MQ-4C spy drone retreated after patrolling near Iranian airspace, immediately after encountering Iranian F-14 fighter jets and reconnaissance UAVs,” his post reads.
🧵בצל ההסלמה המתהווה בין ארה”ב לאיראן: 1/האתר האיראני נור ניוז, המזוהה עם המועצה העליונה לבטחון לאומי, טען הלילה
שכטב”מ ריגול אמריקאי MQ-4C נסוג לאחר שפטרל בסמוך למרחב האווירי של איראן, מיד לאחר שנתקל במטוסי F-14 ובכטב”מי סיור איראנים. צורפה מפה שמתארת את זירת האירוע, לכאורה. pic.twitter.com/S4CNhKv0dq— Yossi Mansharof (@Yossi_Mansharof) March 17, 2025
This recent incident occurred after U.S. President Donald Trump warned against Iranian-backed Houthi attacks on commercial vessels in the Red Sea.
The warning comes after the U.S. launched airstrikes targeting Houthi drone, missile, and air defense systems in Yemen. The strikes, which targeted the capital, Sana’a, along with areas in Saada, Al-Bayda, and Radaa, left 53 people dead.
In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump declared that any Houthi aggression would be considered an attack orchestrated by Iran.
“Every shot fired by the Houthis will be looked upon, from this point forward, as being a shot fired from the weapons and leadership of Iran,” Trump wrote. “Iran will be held responsible, and suffer the consequences, and those consequences will be dire.”
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth emphasized that military actions against the group would continue until the Houthis ceased hostilities.
“This campaign is about freedom of navigation and restoring deterrence. The minute the Houthis say we’ll stop shooting at your ships, we’ll stop shooting at your drones, this campaign will end. But until then, it will be unrelenting,” Hegseth told Fox News.
