ISTANBUL

Iran on Friday said that its air defenses have destroyed 111 drones since the start of the war involving the US and Israel, according to a statement by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).

The statement, reported by the official Iranian news agency IRNA, said an armed MQ-9 drone was intercepted and destroyed over Firuzabad in Fars Province, while another drone was also shot down in the skies over Tabriz.

It added that the total number of drones of various types destroyed since the start of the war has reached 111.

Tensions across the Middle East have flared up since Israel and the US launched a joint attack on Iran on Feb. 28, killing so far around 1,300 people, including the then-Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.

Tehran retaliated with drone and missile strikes targeting Israel, Jordan, Iraq, and Gulf countries that are home to US military assets, resulting in casualties and damage to civilian infrastructure and affecting global markets and aviation.