Iran Claims to Have Shot Down Over 160 Drones in Single Day

Iran has claimed that its air defense forces have shot down more than 160 enemy drones. A senior official from Iran’s Joint Air Defense Headquarters confirmed the figure.

According to a report by Al Jazeera on Saturday (April 4), Iran’s state news agency ISNA quoted Brigadier General Alireza Elhami saying that the Iranian forces have used advanced domestic technology and strategies to counter enemy aircraft and drones. The destroyed drones reportedly include Hermes and Lucas models.

Elhami added that the new defense technology and tactics have confused the adversary, making Iran’s airspace more secure.

Earlier reports claimed that Iran shot down five US and Israeli drone-fighter aircraft in a single day. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) stated that at least two fighter jets, two missiles, and three drones were destroyed in one day, calling the event a “black day” for the US and Israeli air forces.

The IRGC also reported that two cruise missiles were intercepted over the Khomain and Zanjan regions. In addition, two MQ-9 Reaper drones in Isfahan and a Hermes drone in Bushehr were shot down. On the same day, an advanced fighter jet was destroyed in central Iran, with the pilot reported missing. Furthermore, a US A-10 Thunderbolt II (Warthog) aircraft was reportedly shot down over southern Iran near the Strait of Hormuz and later crashed into the Persian Gulf.

Iran says these defensive measures are in response to attacks on its forces. The operations were conducted using new technologies under an integrated air defense system, which the country claims will further secure its airspace in the future.