Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has made a big claim on Sunday (July 19, 2026) amid increasing conflict and tension with America once again in the Middle East. The IRGC has claimed that it has intercepted and shot down an American MQ-9 drone in Ahwaz, a city in the Khuzestan region bordering Iraq. IRGC has shared this information through Iranian government media.

This claim has been made by Iran at a time when America’s Central Command (CENTCOM) has carried out major military operations targeting many Iranian targets. This attack is part of a continuous operation by the US military over the last eight nights against facilities supporting Tehran in Iranian territory.

IRGC Downs US MQ-9 Drone Over Ahvaz

Iran’s IRGC shot down a US MQ-9 drone hours earlier using fire from a new advanced air defense system of the IRGC Aerospace Force in the skies over Ahvaz. pic.twitter.com/2Q4SaKRTFi

— Tasnim News Agency (@Tasnimnews_EN) July 19, 2026

How powerful is America’s MQ-9 drone??

According to the information shared by the US Air Force about the drone, MQ-9 is a very large, remote-controlled Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV), which is mainly designed for missions like intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance and carrying out air strikes.

What did Centcom say after the attack on Iranian targets??

According to the statement issued by Centcom on the The statement said, ‘US Central Command (CENTCOM) has once again carried out strikes against Iran at 11:30 pm ET on Saturday (July 18), following the instructions of the Commander in Chief (US President Donald Trump).’

https://t.co/K11184scG0

— US Central Command (@CENTCOM) July 19, 2026

CENTCOM further said, ‘These military strikes, authorized by US President Donald Trump, were designed to further reduce Iran’s ability to threaten commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz, in which the US military successfully targeted several strategically important Iranian targets. The main objective behind these attacks was to completely weaken the strength and capabilities of Iran’s army.

Also read: When Iran started war with America again, Pakistan got angry, expert said – ‘This is not power, but…’

US Iran Tension: Tension between America and Iran is continuously increasing. US President Donald Trump had said that Iran is showing interest in talks, but after this statement, Tehran has warned that our fingers are still on the trigger. Meanwhile, America’s most destructive warship USS Abraham Lincoln has reached near Iran.

The arrival of America’s war fleet near Iran indicates that something big is about to happen. Now the question is arising whether Trump will prove his threat true, or has this step been taken to put pressure on Iran?

USS Abraham Lincoln and its battle fleet

The entire war fleet operates with the American aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln. This warship is considered the enemy of America and it is said that this warship can single-handedly destroy the entire army of Iran. Along with this, the strike group includes guided missile cruisers, destroyer ships, submarines and other warships. USS Abraham Lincoln is considered to be the largest sea-going war fleet and America’s deadliest fighter planes are deployed on this warship.

Ability to attack from water, land and air

USS Abraham Lincoln can attack the enemy from anywhere in the water, land or sky in case of war. If US President Trump has threatened to wipe Iran off the map, then the reason behind this is the power of lethal weapons available with America. Defense experts believe that America has such destructive weapons, which can overwhelm Iran’s entire army. Many of America’s special weapon systems can target dangerous targets like Iran’s military bases and missile sites within a few minutes.

America’s weapons against Iran’s air defense

It is considered difficult for Iran’s air defense system to stop American fighter planes and missiles. America has five such weapons, which Iran cannot break. During the war between Iran and Israel, America’s stealth bomber B-2 destroyed Iran’s nuclear bases. The Iranian army’s air defense system and radar had failed to detect the American B-2 bomber. This means that it is not difficult for Iran to deal with the B-2 bomber, but almost impossible.

America is making 52 new B-2 bombers

The important thing is that America is preparing 52 new B-2 bombers, which indicates that America is thinking big about war planning. If we talk about America’s Tomahawk missile, then this missile can write a new story of destruction in Iran. Tomahawk missiles launched from submarines and warships are famous for accurate attacks. This is the same missile which Ukrainian President Zelensky had demanded from Trump, but Trump had refused to give it. The whole world recognizes the strength of Tomahawk missile. If America attacks Iran with Tomahawk missile, then huge destruction is certain in many cities of Iran.

F-35, F-22 and MQ-9 Reaper: Challenge for Iran

American F-35 and F-22 are counted among the best fighter planes in the world. Both of these are fifth generation fighter aircraft. At the same time, the Iranian Air Force still uses decades-old fighter planes. In such a situation, it seems impossible that the Iranian Air Force will be able to stand against the American Air Force. There are such fighter planes in the US Air Force fleet that Iran does not have the ability to track, trace and target.

The American MQ-9 Reaper is a dangerous drone, which flies at an altitude of 50 thousand feet and can hit targets up to 1850 kilometers. Washington can use it for major attacks on Iranian military targets, and this drone can fly for 27 hours to 42 hours.

‘Our fingers on the trigger’

Defense experts believe that the sourness in the relations between Iran and America is nothing new, but after the Israel-Iran war, the tension between the two countries has increased further. The phase of threats continues in both the countries and in such a situation the situation can reach war any day. Meanwhile, the Iranian Army has also warned America. The commander of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards warned Washington on Thursday that his military’s fingers are on the trigger after mass protests.

Israel on high alert

In view of the increasing tension between America and Iran, Israel has also gone into war mode. Along with increasing the alert level in the country, police, fire brigade and other emergency services have been activated to deal with any possible attack from Iran. IDF Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir said that the army is ready to face any threat. According to Israeli newspaper The Times of Israel, the Chief of Staff said that the Home Front is trained and capable and our army is on high alert.