Iran reports downing 'hostile' drone near Qeshm island

• Yemen's Houthi group says it shot down US MQ-9 drone over central Marib province

Iran’s air defenses shot down a “hostile” drone near Qeshm Island, a strategic area overlooking the Strait of Hormuz.

The semi-official Tasnim News Agency said army air defense units detected a "hostile American-Zionist drone" in the vicinity of Qeshm before successfully targeting and destroying it.

Separately, Yemen's Houthi group said Friday it had shot down a US MQ-9 drone over Marib province in central Yemen while it was carrying out "hostile missions,” the group’s affiliated Al-Masirah TV reported.

The US military did not immediately comment on the Houthis' claim.

Tensions in the Middle East have escalated since the US and Israel launched strikes against Iran in late February.

Tehran retaliated with attacks targeting Israel as well as US allies in the Gulf, alongside the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.

A ceasefire took effect on April 8 through Pakistani mediation, but subsequent talks in Islamabad failed to produce a lasting agreement. Trump later extended the truce indefinitely.

Since then, the two sides have continued exchanging proposals and counterproposals in an effort to resume direct talks and end the conflict.

In late March, Yemen's Houthi group entered the confrontation in support of Tehran during the US-Israeli war on Iran. The group later warned in April that it could expand its military operations if the war continues, raising concerns about a potential escalation that could threaten navigation through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.