Iran Keeps Ground Forces on Borders; Air Defences Down Drone Near Hormuz

Iran has maintained a large deployment of army ground forces along its borders in response to potential threats, a senior military commander said on Sunday, as the country's air defences reported downing a reconnaissance drone near the Strait of Hormuz.

Brigadier General Ali Jahanshahi, who heads the army's ground forces, said the troops have been stationed along the northwestern, western, southwestern, eastern, northeastern and southeastern frontiers, as well as in coastal areas, since the outbreak of the conflict that followed U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28.

According to Jahanshahi, the deployment brings together several categories of ground units, including special forces, rapid-response formations, mechanised units and artillery. These forces, he said, are operating at a high level of combat readiness.

Separately, the Iranian army announced on Sunday evening that its air defence forces had brought down an advanced Orbiter reconnaissance drone over the Strait of Hormuz at 18:30. In a statement, it said the drone was targeted and destroyed by domestically developed air defence systems stationed in the southeastern part of the country.

The Strait of Hormuz, a narrow waterway connecting the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman, is a strategically vital route for global energy shipments. The reported interception adds to the heightened military posture Iran has described along its frontiers and coastline in recent months.