Iran’s military has claimed that its air defence forces shot down an alleged hostile drone over Qeshm Island, the latest in a series of reported aerial incidents amid heightened regional tensions.

In a statement issued on Saturday, the Iranian military’s public relations department said air defence units successfully intercepted and destroyed a drone flying over Qeshm Island.

According to the statement, the aircraft was identified as a small Orbiter drone, which Iranian authorities described as an asset operated by the United States and Israel.

The military said the drone was detected by air defence systems and destroyed after entering the island’s airspace. It added that the operation was carried out by units operating under Iran’s integrated air defence command, responsible for protecting the country’s airspace.

The claim follows an earlier announcement on May 26 by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), which said it had downed a US MQ-9 drone flying over the Persian Gulf.

The IRGC alleged that the drone had attempted to enter Iranian airspace as part of what it described as interventionist activities by the United States in the region.

Iranian officials said intelligence monitoring enabled air defence units to identify and engage the aircraft while defending the country’s airspace.

The IRGC also claimed that Iranian forces attempted to target an RQ-4 surveillance drone and an F-35 fighter jet that had allegedly approached Iranian airspace, but both aircraft reportedly turned back before entering the country.

Iranian authorities warned that any violation of the ceasefire or intrusion into the country’s airspace would receive a firm response.

The claims could not be independently verified, and there has been no immediate comment from US or Israeli officials.