Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps says it shot down an American MQ-9 Reaper drone over the Persian Gulf on May 26. The IRGC also issued a pointed warning against what it calls ceasefire violations by the United States.
This incident adds to a costly tally: over two dozen Reaper drones-roughly 20% of America’s pre-war inventory-have been lost in the conflict. Each MQ-9 costs between $16 million and $30 million, placing total estimated losses above $1 billion.
The IRGC frames the shootdown as defensive, a response to American provocations during a ceasefire period.
On the financial front, IRGC-linked entities have reportedly moved over $3 billion in digital assets since 2023 as part of broader sanctions evasion. Bitcoin has risen about 14% since the Iran-US war began, with some investors treating it as a partial safe haven.