Score Settled? Iran Downs MQ-9 Reaper - The Drone Used To Kill Qasem Soleimani In 2020

While there was no major breakthrough in the high-stakes ceasefire negotiations underway in Doha, tensions between Iran and the United States escalated sharply overnight after Tehran accused Washington of breaching the fragile truce framework and warned that it was ready to retaliate.

Iranian state media reported explosions in the southern port city of Bandar Abbas near the strategic Strait of Hormuz following overnight US strikes targeting Iranian missile facilities and vessels allegedly involved in laying naval mines.

Confirming the operation, United States Central Command spokesperson Tim Hawkins said: “US forces conducted self-defence strikes in southern Iran today to protect our troops from threats posed by Iranian forces.”

Iran Claims It Downed US MQ-9 Reaper Drone

The latest escalation

came hours after Iranian authorities claimed their forces had shot down an American MQ-9 Reaper drone that allegedly entered Iranian airspace and had also fired upon a US F-35 fighter jet.

Islamic Republic News Agency shared a video on X claiming to show an American MQ-9 Reaper drone being targeted by the advanced air defence systems of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Aerospace Force.

An aggressive American MQ9 drone, while violating Iran’s airspace in the Persian Gulf region early on Tuesday morning, was targeted by the modern air defense system of the IRGC Aerospace Force. pic.twitter.com/stdgaisInG

— IRNA News Agency ☫ (@IrnaEnglish) May 26, 2026

What Is The MQ-9 Reaper Drone?

The MQ-9 Reaper is among the most advanced combat drones operated by the US military and has been central to several high-profile American military operations over the past decade. Developed by General Atomics, the drone is classified as a Medium-Altitude, Long-Endurance (MALE) unmanned aerial vehicle designed for both surveillance and precision strikes.

Operated remotely by a pilot and sensor operator, the aircraft can fly at altitudes up to 50,000 feet and remain airborne for more than 24 hours while monitoring targets across large distances. The drone is equipped with advanced thermal imaging systems, laser-guided targeting technology and high-definition surveillance cameras capable of operating in low-visibility conditions.

It can carry up to 3,750 pounds of weapons payload, including AGM-114 Hellfire missiles and precision-guided smart bombs.

The Qasem Soleimani Connection

The MQ-9 Reaper gained worldwide attention following its role in the January 2020 assassination of Iranian Major General Qasem Soleimani in Baghdad. Soleimani, who led the elite Quds Force wing of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, was widely regarded as the architect of Iran’s regional military strategy and one of the most influential figures in the country after Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.

On January 3, 2020, then US President Donald Trump authorised a covert strike shortly after Soleimani landed at Baghdad International Airport. An MQ-9 Reaper drone tracking his convoy fired multiple Hellfire missiles at the vehicles carrying Soleimani, killing him along with several others instantly.

The strike dramatically escalated tensions between Washington and Tehran and remains one of the defining moments in recent US-Iran relations.