WASHINGTON-(Maravi Post)-Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) says has shot down a US MQ-9 drone over the Strait of Hormuz, as President Donald Trump declares that Washington is continuing to hit Tehran economically and militarily.
Al Jazeera reported on Tuesday, October 20, that the IRGC made the claim through Iran’s state broadcaster, IRIB, saying its air defence forces intercepted the drone early in the day. The reported downing has not been independently confirmed in the material provided.
Trump also praised Russian President Vladimir Putin for staying out of the conflict, while claiming that Iran’s navy and hundreds of its fighter jets had been destroyed or disabled. Those battlefield assertions were not independently verified in the report.
Iranian IRGC spokesman Brigadier-General Hossein Mohebbi warned that undersea communication cables in the Strait of Hormuz could be targeted if US attacks threatened Iran’s regional security.
Meanwhile, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Tehran and Moscow were strengthening their relationship following talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in Tehran on Monday. The discussions covered regional conflicts and plans to expand economic and nuclear cooperation, according to Araghchi.
In Washington, five Democratic senators led by Elizabeth Warren called on the Pentagon to disclose the full cost of the war, including damage to US military bases and repair expenses. The military had estimated the conflict cost $43.6 billion through September 3, excluding damage to bases and facilities hit by Iranian strikes, Al Jazeera reported.
Oil prices edged lower in early trading on Tuesday after Trump authorised waivers on certain sanctions and tariffs affecting Russian energy exports. Brent crude fell 0.45 percent to $109.06 a barrel, while US West Texas Intermediate crude for November delivery dropped 0.33 percent to $103.32, according to figures cited by Al Jazeera from Reuters.
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