U.S. brought down more than one Iranian drone, commander suggests

The U.S. believes it may have brought down two Iranian drones last week, rather than just the one that has been reported, CENTCOM Commander Gen. Kenneth McKenzie told CBS News’ David Martin in an interview Tuesday aboard the USS Boxer, the ship that took action against the drones. Asked by Martin whether it was “only one drone,” McKenzie revealed that he believed the Boxer had engaged two drones “successfully” and perhaps even more.

“As always it was a complex tactical picture, we believe two drones. We believe two drones were successfully — there may have been more that we are not aware of — those are the two that we engaged successfully,” said McKenzie. 

“So you, you actually brought down two drones, not just one?” Martin pressed. 

“We are confident we brought down one drone, we may have brought down a second,” McKenzie replied. 

President Trump himself announced that the Boxer had destroyed an Iranian drone near the Persian Gulf last Thursday.

The shootdown of the drone marked another escalation in tensions less than a month after Mr. Trump nearly launched an airstrike against Iran. 

Iran has claimed that the U.S. did not shoot down its drone. The country’s elite Revolutionary Guard later released video it claimed proves the U.S. warship didn’t destroy one of its drones. However, Mr. Trump, speaking from the Oval Office Friday, said there was “no doubt” that a U.S. warship had destroyed the drone.

This is a developing story.