World News

Iran downed two American drones recently, U.S. officials report

Iranian forces brought down two MQ-1 aircraft in recent days, according to CBS News.

Updated Sep 17, 2026 · 18:36 UTC1 reports

The short version

Anonymous U.S. officials stated that Iranian forces brought down at least two American MQ-1 drones in recent days.[CBS News]
It remains undetermined precisely where the aircraft were downed or which MQ-1 variant was involved.[CBS News]
The U.S. military operates MQ-1 Gray Eagles via the Army, while older Predator models were mostly retired by the Air Force in 2018.[CBS News]
U.S. Central Command declined to comment on the reported drone losses.[CBS News]

U.S. officials stated that Iranian forces brought down at least two American MQ-1 unmanned aircraft in recent days.[CBS News]
The U.S. military has utilized two primary MQ-1 models: the Air Force Predator, largely retired in 2018, and the Army's Gray Eagle.[CBS News]
A recent Congressional Budget Office report noted that at least 24 MQ-9 Reapers and an MQ-4C Triton have been lost during the conflict with Iran.[CBS News]
U.S. Central Command declined to provide comment regarding the reported incidents.[CBS News]

The regional location where the drones were downed and the specific MQ-1 variant involved remain unclear.[CBS News]
The financial cost of the losses depends on the aircraft model, ranging from roughly $8 million for two older Predators to tens of millions of dollars for Gray Eagles.[CBS News]

Outlet counts describe coverage, not independent confirmation. Reports may share a wire service or original source.