Iran recently shot down at least two MQ-1 American military drones, US officials say - report

At least two General Atomics MQ-1 US military drones were shot down by Iranian fire in recent days, two anonymous US officials familiar with the matter told CBS News on Thursday.

The officials noted that it is not yet clear where the drones were shot down, nor is it confirmed which MQ-1 variants were involved.

The report emphasized that the variant matters because it would determine US monetary losses: the older Predator variant is worth about $4 million, while the newer Gray Eagle is worth tens of millions of dollars each.

Citing a report from the Congressional Budget Office, CBS reported that the US military has lost about $720 million since the start of Operation Epic Fury through the downing of at least 24 MQ-9 Reaper drones, plus an additional $150 million from the loss of an MQ-4C Triton.

CBS reached out to US Central Command (CENTCOM), which declined to comment.

Iran claims air defenses shot down MQ-1 drone over Strait of Hormuz

The report follows claims by regime state broadcaster Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) on Tuesday that Iran shot down an MQ-1 drone over the Strait of Hormuz.

Earlier on Tuesday, Qatari-owned Al Jazeera reported that Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) had downed a similar drone over the international waterway.