The governor of Khuzestan province announced that “an unidentified drone” has been shot down by the Iranian army near Mahshahr city.

Shariati told the state-owned IRNA: “In the early hours of Friday, an unidentified drone entered Mahshahr airspace and defensive measures were immediately taken by the army.”

 “The Islamic Republic army’s southeastern defensive base in Mahdhahr shot down this unidentified drone with a missile and its carcass fell near the city,” he continued.

He reported that the military forces have found the drone’s remains and the experts are examining it.

According to Shariati, the drone “is definitely foreign” and “entered Mahshahr airspace without notice and coordination”.

In response to the news, an American army official told Fox News that no American drone has been shot down in the region.

US Central Command also issued a statement saying no American drone has been shot down.

Alireza Sabahifard, the commander of army air defense said the drone “was destroyed by the army’s local air defense forces in the region.

He emphasized that the drone was shot down “before reaching sensitive areas”. He did not elaborate on the nature of these sensitive areas.

The IRGC’s Tasnim News Agency announced that the missile defense system that shot the drone down was the Mersad system and the drone was shot down as part of night-time battle in order to test the readiness of these defense systems.

Earlier this year Iran shot down an American drone in the Persian Gulf. Tehran claimed the drone was on Iranian airspace but Washington claimed that it was over international waters.