Iran Claims US Drone Shootdown and Tanker Mine Strikes in Hormuz as Oil Market Eases

Iran said it shot down a U.S. MQ-1 Predator drone near Kuhestak on the Strait of Hormuz coast, while its Revolutionary Guard Navy said oil tankers struck naval mines in the strait. The U.S. military did not immediately comment on the drone claim, and Times of Israel sources said President Trump told advisers he may hold off on new strikes if Iran does not provoke the U.S.

Semi-official ISNA reported the drone claim and shared photos, and Iran's army said a new air defense system brought it down. The IRGC Navy, via state agency IRNA, said two tankers hit mines after switching off tracking and navigation equipment and taking a route it called unauthorized, while two others heeded warnings and returned toward the Persian Gulf. Separately, the International Energy Agency's November report said global supplies exceeded demand for the first time since the war began. Inventories rose 52 million barrels in October, though Gulf exports of 18.4 million barrels a day stayed 26% below pre-war levels.

CBS News, the left-leaning source, leads with the drone claim and the Iranian army statement, noting the lack of U.S. comment and that the war has produced several confirmed and more claimed Predator shoot-downs. It then turns to the IEA's “tentative signs of rebalancing” and the export figures, and its headline centers on Netanyahu saying it is time to remove the Iran threat. Middle East Eye leads with the IRGC's mine account, and the Times of Israel with Trump's possible restraint as regional allies urge it. They differ on the count: two tankers hit mines in one, three in the other. Right-leaning outlets had not reported this story at the time of writing.