--- title: "Iran Claims Downing of 17th MQ-1 Drone and Three Tankers Hit by Mines in the Strait of Hormuz" description: "Iran claimed the downing of the 17th American MQ-1 drone over Qeshm Island and stated that three tankers hit mines in the Strait of Hormuz. The US has imposed a naval blockade on Iranian ports, while Brent hovered around $95.89." date: 2026-11-14T14:24:04.373Z lang: en url: https://xab.info/en/posts/iran-claims-mq1-drone-tankers-mines tags: [] author: "Marina Slivenko" publisher: "XAB.info" --- # Iran Claims Downing of 17th MQ-1 Drone and Three Tankers Hit by Mines in the Strait of Hormuz ![A small fast patrol boat navigates the sea with a large oil tanker visible in the background in the Strait of Hormuz](https://xab.info/media/2026/11/14/iran-tankers-mines-hormuz-mq1-drone/iran-tankers-mines-hormuz-mq1-drone-1.webp) ## Key Points - The IRGC claimed to have shot down an American MQ-1 Predator over Qeshm Island, calling it the 17th such drone downed (not independently verified). - According to the Iranian military, three oil tankers, including one supertanker, struck mines and caught fire in the Strait of Hormuz; vessel names were not released. - A congressional report from October 5 stated that by early October, the US had lost at least 81 aircraft, including 45 MQ-9s and at least three MQ-1s; losses were valued at $1.9–$3.3 billion as of August 1. - The US imposed a naval blockade on Iranian ports and asserts that main strait routes are cleared of mines; Iran demands transit authorization and attacks non-compliant vessels. - The UN reported escalating strikes on civilians in Yemen; Houthi sources report at least 30 killed in a November 6 market strike in Taiz. On Saturday, November 14, 2026, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) claimed it shot down an American MQ-1 Predator reconnaissance drone for the second consecutive day. According to the Iranian military, this marks the 17th downed MQ-1, although independent verification of this figure is impossible. The drone, according to the IRGC, was shot down over Qeshm Island on the northern coast of the Strait of Hormuz; the strike was again attributed to the new air defense system that Iran also announced on Friday. Simultaneously, the Iranian military reported that three oil tankers hit mines and caught fire in the Strait of Hormuz. ### US Drone Losses: Congressional Data The US is indeed losing drones in the war with Iran, though the exact number of downed aircraft remains classified. According to a congressional report dated October 5, 45 MQ-9 Reaper drones had been lost by mid-August, and at least three Predators had been destroyed previously. In total, by early October, at least 81 manned or unmanned aerial vehicles had been lost in the conflict with Iran, according to the same report. As of August 1, the value of these losses was estimated between $1.9 billion and $3.3 billion. ### Three Tankers Hit by Mines: Iranian Agency Statements In a statement broadcast by Iranian state television on Saturday morning, the IRGC reported that two oil tankers—which had turned off their radar and positioning systems and were "secretly attempting" to traverse the strait via an unauthorized route—exploded and caught fire after striking a naval mine in the southern part of the waters; one of them, according to the Guards, was a supertanker. A separate statement from the Iranian conventional navy reported a third tanker traveling "through an unsafe and prohibited zone east of the strait" with tracking and identification systems disabled, which caught fire and stopped after striking a mine. Neither statement named the vessels or their country of origin. ### Blockade and Minefield: Diverging Positions Since February, when the war with the US began, Tehran has demanded that vessels obtain its permission to pass through the strait and has attacked ships failing to comply with these rules. In response to Iran effectively blocking a strategic trade route, the US has imposed a naval blockade on Iranian ports and is providing military support to tankers using the waterway. The US military maintains that the main routes through the strait have been cleared of mines, whereas Iranian forces have regularly reported fires and explosions on ships in recent weeks, attributing them to mine strikes; on Friday, the IRGC published footage of smoke rising from a liquefied gas carrier that allegedly hit a mine in the southern part of the strait. ### Yemen and Humanitarian Consequences Amid developments in the strait, UN Deputy Spokesperson Farhan Hak stated on Friday that civilians across Yemen are increasingly suffering from drones, missiles, airstrikes, and shelling in homes, markets, and other areas previously considered safe. According to the Houthis, in one of the deadliest strikes since the resumption of fighting between the Iran-backed Houthis and Saudi-backed government forces on November 6, an airstrike on a market in Taiz province killed at least 30 people. Hak emphasized that under international law, all parties are obligated to take "all feasible precautions" to prevent and minimize civilian casualties. ### Oil Market Reaction Oil prices fluctuated on Friday following US President Donald Trump's statement that Washington "does not need a deal with Iran" even as the Middle East conflict continues. The global benchmark, Brent crude, spiked early in the day before declining and remained virtually unchanged by 2:00 PM at $95.89 per barrel. ## Accounts differ ### Number of tankers hit by mines in the Strait of Hormuz - **IRGC / Iranian Navy (per CBS News, Middle East Eye, MSN):** Three oil tankers struck mines and caught fire (two in the southern part of the strait, one east of it) ([cbsnews.com](https://www.cbsnews.com/live-updates/us-iran-war-trump-nuclear-material-no-deal/)) - **Al Jazeera:** Five vessels were hit by mines in the Strait of Hormuz ([aljazeera.com](https://www.aljazeera.com/news/liveblog/2026/11/14/iran-war-live-fighting-grips-yemen-as-qatar-turkiye-sign-defence-deal)) *Where they agree:* Tankers indeed struck mines and caught fire; Iran blames the vessels for taking unauthorized routes with identification systems disabled ### Condition of the minefield in the strait - **US Military:** Main routes through the strait have been cleared of mines ([cbsnews.com](https://www.cbsnews.com/live-updates/us-iran-war-trump-nuclear-material-no-deal/)) - **IRGC / Iranian Navy:** Vessels continue to hit naval mines, including in prohibited zones ([cbsnews.com](https://www.cbsnews.com/live-updates/us-iran-war-trump-nuclear-material-no-deal/)) *Where they agree:* Incidents involving ships are occurring in the strait, which Iran attributes to mine strikes ## Fact-Check & Sources - [Live Updates: 3 oil tankers hit mines in Strait of Hormuz, Iran says](https://www.cbsnews.com/live-updates/us-iran-war-trump-nuclear-material-no-deal/) - Подтверждено по источнику cbsnews.com - [Two tankers hit sea mines in Hormuz: IRGC](https://www.middleeasteye.net/live-blog/live-blog-update/two-tankers-hit-sea-mines-hormuz-irgc) - Подтверждено по источнику middleeasteye.net - [Iran war live: Coalition downs 2 Houthi drones; 5 ships hit mines in Hormuz](https://www.aljazeera.com/news/liveblog/2026/11/14/iran-war-live-fighting-grips-yemen-as-qatar-turkiye-sign-defence-deal) - Подтверждено по источнику aljazeera.com - [BREAKING: Irans Sirik Attack Revenge Begins Two Oil Tankers Hit Mines; 'Trump Is To Blame'](https://www.msn.com/en-in/news/other/breaking-irans-sirik-attack-revenge-begins-two-oil-tankers-hit-mines-trump-is-to-blame/vi-AA2hkHfF) - Подтверждено по источнику msn.com ## FAQ ### How many US MQ-1 drones has Iran claimed to have shot down? The IRGC claimed the MQ-1 shot down Saturday over Qeshm Island is the 17th such drone downed. This figure cannot be independently verified. ### How many tankers did Iran report hitting mines in the Strait of Hormuz? The Iranian military reported three tankers: two in the southern part of the strait (including a supertanker) and one east of the strait. Vessel names were not disclosed; other sources cite different figures. ### How are the US responding to Iranian actions in the strait? The US has imposed a naval blockade on Iranian ports and provides military support to tankers using the waterway; the US military states that main routes have been cleared of mines. ### What are total US aircraft losses according to congressional data? According to the October 5 report, at least 81 manned or unmanned aircraft were lost by early October, including 45 MQ-9 Reapers (as of mid-August) and at least three MQ-1s; losses were valued at $1.9–$3.3 billion as of August 1.