Tasnim � Commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Major General Hossein Salami dismissed the US� claim of shooting down an Iranian drone over the Strait of Hormuz as a �big lie�, stressing that the Islamic Republic has not lost any pilotless aircraft.

Speaking to reporters in the western city of Khorramabad on Wednesday, Major general Salami said, �I announce here formally that none of the Islamic Republic of Iran�s drones has been shot down.�

The Iranian drone that the US claims to have brought down has patrolled the Persian Gulf for 3 hours and 40 minutes and recorded images of the vessels of regional and extra-regional countries, the commander said.

He further challenged the US to provide evidence of shooting down the drone, saying nobody would believe a claim without proof.

�I maintain firmly that it has been a big lie, and we proved it false,� he added.

US President Donald Trump claimed on July 18 that the USS Boxer has destroyed an Iranian drone after the aircraft threatened the ship by flying to within 1,000 meters of it and ignored multiple calls to stand down.

Later, the Pentagon said in a statement that the USS Boxer, an amphibious assault ship, had taken �defensive action� against a drone, but did not mention whether the aircraft was Iranian.

The IRGC released the video of the US warship in the Persian Gulf a day later, as part of evidence to reject Trump�s claim about the downing of Iran�s drone.