--- title: "Iran shoots down at least two US drones, officials say" publication: "MediaBias News" url: "https://mediabias.news/conflict/iran-shoots-down-at-least-two-us-drones-officials-say" api: "https://mediabias.news/api/v1/stories/iran-shoots-down-at-least-two-us-drones-officials-say" markdown: "https://mediabias.news/conflict/iran-shoots-down-at-least-two-us-drones-officials-say.md" audio: "https://mediabias.news/api/audio/iran-shoots-down-at-least-two-us-drones-officials-say" category: "Conflict & Security" area: "Middle East" published: "2026-09-17T18:46:32.081Z" source_reported: "2026-09-17T18:18:34.188Z" updated: "2026-09-17T18:46:32.081Z" trust_score: 42 critic_score: 45 hype_score: 41 assessment_type: "coverage-and-source-reporting-analysis" fact_check_status: "not-performed" coverage_measured: "2026-09-17T18:45:40.320533+00:00" --- # Iran shoots down at least two US drones, officials say *US officials confirmed the incidents, but details on location and drone variant remain unconfirmed.* **Scores for the source reporting** (0-100, assessing the original journalism this article was written from, not this write-up): - Trust 42 of 100, higher is better. Central claim attributed to US officials, but no named sources or documents cited. - Craft 45 of 100, higher is better. Reporting is clear and holds together, but lacks quotes from affected parties or discussion of future events. - Hype 41 of 100, lower is better. Headline promises more than the body delivers, with mild sensationalism and a lively but fair headline. Scored by MediaBias News; method at https://mediabias.news/methodology. **The short version** - Iranian forces have shot down at least two US MQ-1 unmanned aircraft, according to US officials. - The specific variant of the downed drones and the location of the incidents are not confirmed. - The cost of MQ-1 variants varies significantly, from $4 million for older models to tens of millions for newer ones. - Iran's state broadcaster previously claimed to have downed a drone over the Strait of Hormuz. US officials have stated that Iranian forces have shot down at least two American MQ-1 unmanned aircraft in recent days. The specific variant of the drones and the locations where they were downed have not yet been confirmed. The cost of these drones varies, with older MQ-1 variants costing around $4 million and newer Gray Eagle variants valued at tens of millions of dollars each. This report follows claims by Iran's state broadcaster that it had shot down an MQ-1 drone over the Strait of Hormuz. ## Disagreement on drone variant and location US officials told CBS News that it is not yet clear where the drones were shot down, nor which MQ-1 variants were involved. The Jerusalem Post report, also citing US officials, stated that the specific variant and location were unconfirmed. No other reports provided further details on these specific points. ## What the coverage left out None of the centre or right-rated reports mentioned the Congressional Budget Office report cited by the Jerusalem Post, which detailed US military losses of $720 million from MQ-9 Reaper drones and $150 million from an MQ-4C Triton. No left-rated outlet ran this story at all. ## Who covered it Shares of the 7 covering outlets with a published leaning rating: - Left: 0% (0) - Centre: 43% (3) - Right: 57% (4) 4 of 11 covering outlets carried no usable leaning rating and were excluded from those percentages. Coverage measured 2026-09-17T18:45:40.320533+00:00. **Coverage watch:** developing. Checked 2 times; 0 checks found a material change. Most recently checked 2026-09-17T19:15:25.109Z. ## How the sides framed it ### Left No separate framing summary. ### Centre - The centre-rated reports led with the confirmation of the drone downings by US officials. The Jerusalem Post, in its full report, highlighted the potential monetary losses for the US, noting the cost difference between older and newer MQ-1 variants. It also mentioned previous claims by Iran's state broadcaster and Al Jazeera regarding a drone incident over the Strait of Hormuz. Political Wire and CBS News digests also reported the core fact of at least two US drones being shot down by Iran, citing US officials. ### Right - The right-rated reports focused on the number of drones downed and attributed the action to Iran. Mehr News Agency's digest stated that "US Admits Iran Shot Down Two MQ1 Drones." Similarly, [your]NEWS's digest reported that "Iran Downs at Least Two U.S. Drones as American Aircraft Losses Mount." Aftenposten's digest also reported that "Iran has shot down at least two long-range American drones in recent days, US officials told CBS News." **Provisional coverage gap:** left. The watch is not closed, so this is not yet a settled blindspot finding. ## Factuality profile of the covering outlets These are published factuality ratings of the outlets, not a verdict on whether this story or its claims are true. - mixed: 2 - high: 4 - unknown: 4 - veryHigh: 1 ## Verification scope This page compares coverage and scores the source reporting. It is not a ClaimReview verdict on whether the underlying event or claim is true. ## Original reporting this was written from - [Jerusalem Post](https://jpost.com/middle-east/iran-news/article-908990) — Iran recently shot down at least two MQ-1 American military drones, US officials say - [Mehr News Agency](https://mehrnews.com/news/6950231/%D8%A7%D8%B0%D8%B9%D8%A7%D9%86-%D8%A2%D9%85%D8%B1%DB%8C%DA%A9%D8%A7-%D8%A8%D9%87-%D8%B3%D8%B1%D9%86%DA%AF%D9%88%D9%86-%D8%B4%D8%AF%D9%86-%D8%AF%D9%88-%D9%BE%D9%87%D9%BE%D8%A7%D8%AF-MQ1-%D8%AA%D9%88%D8%B3%D8%B7-%D8%A7%DB%8C%D8%B1%D8%A7%D9%86) — US Admits Iran Shot Down Two MQ1 Drones - [Haberler](https://haberler.com/guncel/abd-basini-iran-in-saldirilarinda-abd-ye-ait-en-az-20247937-haberi) — US Media: At Least Two US MQ-1 Drones Were Shot Down in Iranian Attacks. - [[your]NEWS](https://yournews.com/2026/09/17/7198172/iran-downs-at-least-two-u-s-drones-as-american-aircraft) — Iran Downs at Least Two U.S. Drones as American Aircraft Losses Mount - [Cryptocurrency News | Cryptocurrency Prices | Market Cap](https://cryptocurrency.com.tr/iran-downed-at-least-2-unmanned-american-aircraft-in-recent-days-us-officials-say-381462) — Iran downed at least 2 unmanned American aircraft in recent days, US officials say - [Crypto Briefing](https://cryptobriefing.com/iran-downed-at-least-2-unmanned-american-aircraft-in-recent-days-us-officials) — Iran downed at least 2 unmanned American aircraft in recent days, US officials say - [Nettavisen](https://nettavisen.no/nyheter/cbs-iran-skjot-ned-to-amerikanske-droner/s/80-95-87858) — Iran Shoots Down Two US Drones - [Aftenposten](https://aftenposten.no/verden/i/BxPvrl/cbs-iran-skjoet-ned-to-amerikanske-droner) — CBS: Iran Shoots Down Two US Drones - [Political Wire](https://politicalwire.com/2026/09/17/iran-downed-at-least-2-american-drones) — Iran Downed at Least 2 American Drones - [Globo](https://g1.globo.com/mundo/noticia/2026/09/17/ira-derrubou-dois-avioes-militares-dos-eua.ghtml) — Iran Took Down Two U.S. Military Planes, Says TV - [CBS News](https://cbsnews.com/news/iran-downed-american-drones-us-officials) — Iran downed at least 2 unmanned American aircraft in recent days, U.S. officials say ## Questions **How many US drones did Iran shoot down?** US officials have confirmed that Iranian forces shot down at least two American MQ-1 unmanned aircraft in recent days. Details regarding the exact number and specific circumstances remain unconfirmed by official sources. **Where were the drones shot down?** The specific locations where the US MQ-1 drones were shot down by Iranian forces have not yet been confirmed. This detail remains unclear according to US officials familiar with the matter. **What kind of drones were shot down?** US officials have not confirmed the specific variants of the MQ-1 drones that were shot down by Iran. The cost of these drones varies significantly, with older models costing around $4 million and newer ones tens of millions of dollars. --- MediaBias News — https://mediabias.news. Reproduced from https://mediabias.news/conflict/iran-shoots-down-at-least-two-us-drones-officials-say. Please cite as: MediaBias News, "Iran shoots down at least two US drones, officials say", https://mediabias.news/conflict/iran-shoots-down-at-least-two-us-drones-officials-say