ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Iranian forces said Sunday that they downed an American Predator drone over Iranian waters, shortly after Tehran’s military command stated that the Strait of Hormuz remains under its control. For its part, the US Central Command (CENTCOM) said it has disabled and redirected over 120 vessels headed to Iran, while US President Donald Trump reiterated that he is “in no hurry” to strike a deal to end the war with Tehran.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said in a statement that “in the early hours of today [Sunday], an MQ-1 drone belonging to the invading United States military entered Iranian territorial waters with the intention of carrying out hostile operations.”
The drone “was immediately detected and targeted by the IRGC’s advanced air defense missile systems and shot down,” the statement said, noting that “the IRGC air defense warned that the airspace over Iran’s territorial waters is under full control” and that “any violation will be dealt with decisively.”
The statement came shortly after the Iranian military’s highest operational command unit, the Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, said Saturday that the Strait of Hormuz is under the “full authority” of Iranian armed forces.
“All ships, commercial vessels, and oil tankers are exclusively required to transit through designated routes and obtain permission from the IRGC Navy,” it added, urging compliance of all vessels using the key waterway and warning that any violation will “seriously jeopardize the security of their passage”.
Moreover, it warned that “military vessels” attempting to interfere with the status quo in the Strait of Hormuz or “create disruption in navigation” will be targeted by Iranian armed forces.
The remarks coincided with a statement by CENTCOM, which said on Saturday that US forces operating in the Gulf of Oman had a day earlier “enforced blockade measures by disabling a Gambia-flagged maritime vessel attempting to sail toward an Iranian port.”
The motor vessel Lian Star was “transiting international waters toward an Iranian port in the Gulf of Oman,” prompting CENTCOM forces to issue “more than 20 warnings” informing the vessel that it was in violation of the US blockade.
“A U.S. aircraft disabled the vessel by firing a Hellfire missile into the ship’s engine room after Lian Star’s crew failed to comply,” the statement added, noting that “U.S. forces have disabled five commercial vessels and redirected 116 to fully enforce the blockade as a ceasefire with Iran remains in effect.”
The US and Israel in late February launched a large-scale aerial campaign against Iran, striking thousands of targets across the country over six weeks of hostilities, before the warring sides agreed to a Pakistan-mediated ceasefire on April 8, halting fighting to allow space for talks.
While the first round of talks concluded without a final agreement on April 11, a second round has yet to take place, with a comprehensive resolution to the conflict still pending.
US President Trump said in a Saturday interview with Fox News that while diplomatic progress is being made, he is fully prepared to pivot back to military operations.
“We're close to a very good deal… otherwise we just start up with the Department of War,” he said, adding, “slowly but surely we're getting what we want - and if we don't get what we want, we're going to end it a different way.”
Asked about the stalemate in concluding a deal, Trump said, “We're getting what we want slowly,” describing the Iranian side as “very tough negotiators” while also stating, “I'm in no hurry.”