Iran Claims US Drone Shot Down and Two Tankers Hit Mines in Strait of Hormuz

Iran's army said it shot down a U.S. MQ-1 Predator drone near Kuhestak, on the Strait of Hormuz coast, while the Revolutionary Guard Navy said two oil tankers struck naval mines in the strait. The U.S. military did not immediately comment, and both accounts come from Iranian state or semi-official media.

ISNA shared photos of the supposed downed drone, and the army credited a new air defense system. The IRGC, in a statement carried by IRNA, said the tankers switched off tracking and navigation equipment and took an unauthorised route. Two other tankers heeded warnings from its traffic control centre and turned back toward the Persian Gulf. Separately, the International Energy Agency said global oil supplies surpassed demand for the first time since the war began, with inventories up 52 million barrels in October. Gulf exports, excluding Oman, reached 18.4 million barrels a day, still 26% below pre-war levels despite continued tanker attacks.

CBS News, on the left, headlines Netanyahu's call to end the Iran threat for good, then leads its text with the drone claim. It stresses that the U.S. had not confirmed the loss and notes that several shoot-downs in the war were confirmed and more only claimed. It then turns to the IEA's oil report, quoting the agency that “The oil market is showing tentative signs of rebalancing,” and gives figures on inventories and Gulf exports. Middle East Eye, an alternative outlet, offers a distinct angle. It covers only the tanker incident, relays the IRGC's account of ships going dark and taking an unauthorised route, and omits the drone and oil-market data. Right-leaning outlets had not reported this story at the time of writing, while the other two sides had.