Iran Army Says It Shot Down US Drone Over Bandar Abbas, Tasnim Reports

Iran's army said on Sunday that its air defence systems shot down a US LUCAS drone over the southern port city of Bandar Abbas, according to the semi-official Tasnim news agency, as reported by Reuters. The claim, which has not been independently verified and carried no immediate US response in the reports, comes as the United States weighs a possible strike on Iran or a major deal with Tehran.

Main News Report

Reuters reported that Iran's air defence systems shot down a US LUCAS drone over Bandar Abbas, citing the Iranian army's statement as carried by Tasnim. Arab News, carrying the same Reuters report, described Bandar Abbas as a significant port city in southern Iran.

What the reports establish, and what they do not:

• The claim: Iran's army says its air defences downed a US LUCAS drone over Bandar Abbas on Sunday.
• The source chain: the Iranian army's statement, reported by Tasnim and carried by Reuters.
• Not established: the time of the incident, the drone's mission, any wreckage, or any US response — none of these appear in the reports.
• Status: an Iranian military claim, not independently verified, with no US confirmation carried in the reports.

Background Context

This is not the first such claim of the war. Daily Sabah reported on 20 October that Tasnim had said a new, advanced air defence system destroyed a US MQ-9 Reaper drone over the Strait of Hormuz, with Iranian media claiming more than 50 drones of that type had been brought down since the conflict began. The US military did not immediately confirm that claim either, and the claims could not be independently verified. The same report noted that the United States has lost or damaged 81 aircraft and drones since launching attacks on Iran in late February, according to a US Congressional Research Service report, with replacement costs estimated at between $1.9 billion and $3.3 billion.

The timing is what makes Sunday's claim so charged. PakInsight Hub reported that US President Donald Trump was considering a possible military strike against Iran as early as Sunday, or a major deal with Tehran, and that Iran had denied offering Washington a new Hormuz deal through Pakistani mediators. PakInsight Hub also reported that US intelligence had warned Iranian plots against US personnel had reached advanced stages, as Washington updated travel advisories for 13 countries. Pakistan's mediation role runs through the story: PakInsight Hub reported that US and Iranian envoys converged on Islamabad in the week of 21 October, and that Field Marshal Asim Munir met senior Iranian leaders in Tehran on 20 October.

Reactions and Statements

Tehran's statement, as carried by Tasnim, is the claim itself: Iranian air defences shot down the US drone over Bandar Abbas. No further Iranian detail — on the drone's mission, its flight path or any wreckage — appeared in the reports.

Washington has not responded in the reports reviewed. That silence follows the pattern of the 20 October MQ-9 claim, which the US military also did not immediately confirm. Mr Trump has kept both options open in public: PakInsight Hub reported that he said a deal with Iran remained possible but refused to rule out further military action, insisting any agreement must permanently prevent Tehran from developing a nuclear weapon.

Why This News Matters

For Pakistan, the claim matters on three fronts. First, it tests the credibility of Pakistan's mediation: Islamabad is the channel through which the seven-day Hormuz plan was conveyed, and any escalation on the day of a possible US decision puts that diplomacy under immediate strain. Second, Bandar Abbas sits on the Strait of Hormuz, Pakistan's energy lifeline: PakInsight Hub reported that Brent crude hit a six-month high of $116.72 a barrel on Friday as regional strikes rattled markets, and a fresh US-Iran incident threatens to push fuel prices higher still for Pakistani households. Third, the wider war is already spilling across the Gulf: PakInsight Hub reported that Riyadh's airport resumed flights on Sunday under renewed Houthi attack warnings, and PakInsight Hub reported Houthi claims of strikes on Saudi airports and oil sites — a regional confrontation in which Pakistan has tried to play mediator, not party.

Future Developments

The immediate question is whether Washington confirms, denies or ignores the claim — and whether Sunday brings the strike or the deal Mr Trump flagged. Any US response, any further Iranian air-defence claim, and any movement in Strait shipping or oil prices will show which way the day is breaking. Pakistan's mediation channel will also be watched: whether Islamabad carries any message between the two sides in the next 24 hours. PakInsight Hub will continue to follow the US response, the Hormuz shipping situation and the knock-on effects for Pakistan's fuel prices.

Sources

• Reuters — "Iranian army says it shot down US drone over Bandar Abbas, Tasnim reports" (25 October 2026)
• Arab News / Reuters — "Iranian army says it shot down US drone over Bandar Abbas, Tasnim reports" (25 October 2026)
• Daily Sabah / dpa — "Tehran reportedly shoots down US MQ-9 Reaper drone over Hormuz" (20 October 2026)
• PakInsight Hub — "Iran Denies New Hormuz Offer to US Through Pakistan Mediator" (25 October 2026)
• PakInsight Hub — "Iran Plots to Target US Personnel Reach 'Advanced Stages', Intelligence Memo Warns" (25 October 2026)

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