Iran downs two drones as Israel claims heavy damage to Iranian air defenses

2026-03-06 - 07:54

Shafaq News- Tehran Iranian air defenses shot down two drones over the country on Friday, including an MQ-9 over Lorestan province and a Hermes drone near Tehran, state television said, as hostilities involving Iran, the United States, and Israel intensified. Local media also reported damage in the capital following recent airstrikes that hit a parking facility, two residential houses, a medical center, and a fuel station. The Iranian Red Crescent recorded damage to 14 medical facilities and nine of its centers. According to Iran’s Martyrs Foundation, 1,230 people have been killed across the country since the start of the US-Israeli attacks on Iran. لاشه پهپاد هرمس ۴۵۰ ساقط‌شده در لرستان‌این پهپاد اسرائیلی توسط ارتش جمهوری اسلامی ایران ساقط شده بود pic.twitter.com/Lyvn3eB9gY — خبرگزاری تسنیم (@Tasnimnews_Fa) March 6, 2026 Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) spokesperson indicated in a statement that Iran has deployed “new weapons” to counter what it described as US-Israeli military action and warned that the country is prepared for a prolonged confrontation. The official cautioned that upcoming operational phases could deliver “severe strikes” against adversaries, confirming that air defenses intercepted an Israeli drone attempting to target sites in Isfahan. On the Israeli side, military spokesperson Avichay Adraee claimed on X that Israeli aircraft destroyed six Iranian ballistic missile launch platforms shortly before they were fired toward Israel. The army also reported the destruction of three advanced Iranian air defense systems. #عاجل ❌ قبل اطلاقها نحو إسرائيل: سلاح الجو يدمّر ست منصّات إطلاق صواريخ باليستية إيرانية❌دمّر سلاح الجو أمس ستّ منصّات إطلاق صواريخ باليستية، وذلك قبل دقائق معدودة من إطلاقها نحو أراضي دولة إسرائيل.❌كما تمّ تدمير ثلاث منظومات دفاع إيرانية متقدّمة.⭕️ويتواصل الجهد المشترك... pic.twitter.com/Z3SGlUJyKo — افيخاي ادرعي (@AvichayAdraee) March 6, 2026 Israeli Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir alleged that Israeli forces have dismantled about 80 percent of Iran’s air defense network and are shifting toward deeper strikes on military infrastructure in Tehran, citing roughly 2,500 operations inside Iran involving more than 6,000 munitions, primarily aimed at air defense systems and ballistic missile launch platforms. Israeli forces, Zamir added, have also disabled over 60 percent of Iran’s missile launch capability, and indicated that after an initial phase focused on surprise and achieving air superiority, the campaign will move to broader attacks on military infrastructure.