Iran claims US drone downed after missile strikes hit Qeshm Island
Missiles struck Iran's southern Qeshm Island in two rounds, the country's semi-official news agency Tasnim reported. No detailed information was yet available on casualties or damage from the strikes.
On Saturday (7 November), citing Tasnim, reports said preliminary information indicated two missiles had hit the island. The agency said further details would be released once the relevant authorities confirmed the incident.
Iran's state news agency IRNA, meanwhile, reported that residents heard two explosions in the Suja area of Qeshm Island, close to the Strait of Hormuz. Citing eyewitnesses, the report said people saw two objects falling in the area. Locals also said they had heard the sound of an aircraft in the sky earlier.
A few hours after the reports of the blasts, Iran's state broadcaster IRIB claimed that the country's defence forces had shot down a US MQ-9 drone over Qeshm Island. The report said the drone had been destroyed by Iranian forces.
On Friday, Iranian media had reported that another US drone was shot down over the same island. Citing the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), the report said that drone was an MQ-1 model.
Meanwhile, Qatar's international media office described reports that the United States and Iran had reached a deal to end the war as baseless and misleading. In a statement published on Saturday, the office said Qatar's prime minister had confirmed that the two sides were still trying to reach an agreement.
The statement added that Doha was continuing its mediation efforts, maintaining close contact with both Washington and Tehran to reach a settlement.
The incidents on Qeshm Island came at a time when diplomatic efforts are under way over the continuing conflict between the United States and Iran, with claims of missile strikes and drone shoot-downs emerging from both sides.
