TEHRAN, Nov. 3 (Xinhua) -- Iran's Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) said late Monday that its air defense systems had intercepted three U.S. drones in the country's southern airspace.
The IRGC identified two of the unmanned aerial vehicles as MQM-170 Outlaw drones, which it said were intercepted over Qeshm Island, and the third as an MQ-9 Reaper, shot down in waters east of the Strait of Hormuz.
The United States attacked Iran's strategic Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz on Monday, The Wall Street Journal reported, citing U.S. officials.
The attacks were the latest in "a series of limited strikes Washington has secretly carried out against the country in recent weeks as President Trump touted the possibility of a diplomatic deal," the journal said.
Meanwhile, Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi said diplomatic efforts mediated by Qatar and Pakistan had intensified, but warned that further U.S. military escalation would draw a "far more bitter and severe" response.
Several explosions were reported by Iranian media early Tuesday on the Qeshm Island. The blasts of unknown nature were also heard by residents in the southern Hengam Island and the port city of Bandar Abbas, according to Iran's semi-official Fars news agency. ■
