US military drone shot down over Yemen

A US MQ-9 drone was shot down over Yemen on Tuesday by a surface-to-air missile, a US officials tell news agencies.

The officials, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said the drone was shot down late on Tuesday.

The US believes the missile was provided to Houthi rebels by Iran, said the official, who added that it was not immediately clear if the drone was being operated by the US military or the intelligence community.

This is not the first time a U.S. drone has been shot down in Yemen. In June, the U.S. military said that Houthi rebels had shot down a U.S. government-operated drone with assistance from Iran.

U.S. forces have occasionally launched drone and air strikes against Yemen's al Qaeda branch, known as Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP).

The downing of a US drone by Iran in June nearly led to a US military strike, with President Donald Trump calling off the attack minutes before it was to take place due to what he said would have been a high death toll. The US claimed the drone was in international airspace over the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world's most vital shipping routes, while Iran said the drone was over its territory.

Tensions between Washington and Tehran have run high as the Trump administration has taken a hard stance against the longtime US foe. Since the decision by Trump in 2018 to abandon the Iran nuclear deal.