BAKU, Azerbaijan, March 4. Four unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) belonging to the U.S. and Israel have been shot down in Iran over the past 24 hours, Trend reports, citing the statement of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
The statement noted that a total of three Hermes UAVs were shot down in the Iranian Yazd, Kermanshah, and Alborz Provinces and one MQ9 UAV in Isfahan Province.
The statement added that in total, 26 UAVs belonging to the U.S. and Israel have been shot down in the past few days, and one was captured without any damage.
Following the 2nd round of nuclear talks between Washington and Tehran on February 17, which ended without progress, the U.S. increased its presence in areas near Iran, deploying over 150 aircraft to bases in Europe and the Middle East.
The escalation follows the 3rd round of nuclear talks between Iran and the United States in Geneva on February 26. Held under the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump, the negotiations were viewed as the final chance to strike a deal diplomatically. However, no agreements were reached, as Tehran refused to halt uranium enrichment, dismantle its nuclear facilities, or accept indefinite restrictions on its nuclear program. Israel launched its airstrikes shortly afterward, with the country's Defense Minister Katz emphasizing that the operations were preemptive.
In a significant escalation, military airstrikes conducted by Israel and the United States the previous day have reportedly resulted in the deaths of Iran’s Supreme Leader Seyyed Ali Khamenei and several members of his family.
Additionally, several of Iran’s most senior military and security officials were killed in the airstrikes, including Chief of Staff Major General Abdolrahim Mousavi, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Commander-in-Chief Mohammad Pakpour, Supreme Leader adviser and Defense Council Secretary Ali Shamkhani, and Defense Minister Aziz Nasirzadeh.
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