The Israeli military confirmed Wednesday that one of its unmanned aerial vehicles was shot down over Iran, following an Iranian claim that its air defense forces had destroyed an Israeli drone near Isfahan.
“This is one of the areas east of Isfahan. As you can see in the picture, around 5:00 AM this morning, the proud air defense of the Islamic Republic of Iran Army destroyed and shot down a highly advanced Hermes drone,” Iranian state media reported.
The Israel Defense Forces later acknowledged the downing, stating, “During operational activity, a surface-to-air missile was launched at an air force unmanned aerial vehicle.” The IDF confirmed the drone crashed inside Iran but emphasized that “there is no fear of information leaking.”
The incident comes as the Israeli Air Force continues its operations over Iranian airspace, which began on 13 June amid escalating tensions between the two countries. The IDF says its aircraft have been flying at ranges exceeding 1,500 kilometers and are operating deep inside Iranian territory.
ערוץ טלוויזיה באיראן שידר תיעוד של רחפן שהופל באזור איספהאן pic.twitter.com/VR0tuXS3Vp
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Military officials maintain that the drone loss was anticipated as part of the broader effort to secure control of Iranian airspace.
“Achieving air superiority involves initiative and offensive actions, which come with costs that were accounted for in the plan,” the IDF said. “We are constantly engaged in the struggle to maintain air superiority.”
The downed drone appears to be a Hermes model, a high-end reconnaissance platform produced by Israel’s Elbit Systems. While the IDF did not specify the drone type, the Iranian media release included a photo showing what appears to be Hermes wreckage in the desert east of Isfahan.
The Israeli military also disclosed that more than 70 Iranian air defense batteries have been destroyed since the start of its operations, targeting both long-range surface-to-air missile systems and mobile launchers.
“The military has said it has air supremacy over western Iran and Tehran, and is working to achieve this over other parts of the country as well, to thwart Iranian ballistic missile attacks on Israel,” the IDF noted in a statement.
The loss of the drone is now under investigation, according to the IDF, though officials reiterated that the incident would not alter the ongoing aerial campaign.