TEHRAN – Hours after the Iranian military dismissed a claim by the Pentagon that it had shot down an Iranian drone over the Strait of Hormuz, the IRGC released a footage captured by an Iranian drone monitoring a U.S. Navy vessel, exposing as untrue that the unmanned aircraft had been shot down.

In the video released late on Friday, the IRGC Public Relations Department said it released the footage to expose the United States’ “lies.”

The footage shows the drone was carrying out its routine mission in the region before the entry of USS Boxer — escorted by five vessels — into the strategic Strait of Hormuz.

The video was released a day after President Trump announced that the USS Boxer downed an Iranian drone that came within 1,000 yards of the Navy ship and ignored “multiple calls to stand down.”

Speaking at the White House, Trump said the drone was “threatening the safety of the ship and the ship’s crew” in the Strait of Hormuz and was “immediately destroyed.”

On Friday, military spokesman General Abolfazl Shekarchi said Iran has not lost any drone in the strait.

“Contrary to Trump’s delusional claim, all drones belonging to Iran in the Persian Gulf and Strait of Hormuz, including the one mentioned by him, have returned to their bases safe and sound,” Shekarchi explained.

PA/PA