Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) says its air defense forces have shot down a US drone over the eastern part of the Strait of Hormuz.

The drone was brought down using a new advanced air defense system. The force identified the aircraft as an MQ-9 reconnaissance and strike drone, according to vedomosti.ru.

The reported incident comes amid heightened tensions around the strategically important Strait of Hormuz, a key route for global energy shipments.

US Central Command (CENTCOM) said overnight that 103 commercial vessels had been redirected as part of efforts to enforce a blockade in the Strait of Hormuz, as of September 15.

The IRGC said on August 29 that it remained in control of the Strait of Hormuz and had shifted from a defensive posture toward a greater strategic initiative in determining the course of the war. At the same time, reports on September 11 said that seven vessels had passed through the strait.

On September 13, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi rejected reports that the Strait of Hormuz had been reopened.

Araghchi said an agreement between Iran and Oman on managing the strait would not result in unrestricted navigation. The Iranian foreign minister said that Tehran is still waiting for the US to fulfill its commitments under a 60-day memorandum of understanding signed in Islamabad in June.

The Strait of Hormuz is one of the world’s most strategically important maritime chokepoints, making developments around the waterway closely watched by the international shipping and energy markets.