Iran Claims Seizure of Second US Underwater Drone in Strait of Hormuz
Iran's Revolutionary Guards say they intercepted a US reconnaissance underwater vehicle in the Strait of Hormuz, a claim the US military has denied. It marks the second such seizure claim by Tehran in recent days.
Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy announced it captured a US underwater surveillance device in the Strait of Hormuz, describing the action as a coordinated intelligence and electronic warfare operation. The IRGC identified the device as a REMUS 600 and said it had been handed to Iranian military specialists for data extraction.
According to Iranian media reports, REMUS 600 vehicles are autonomous underwater systems used by the US Navy and several NATO members. They are lighter and more modular than large ocean-going submersibles, carrying sensors, cameras and sonar equipment for tasks such as surveillance, seabed mapping, mine detection and underwater inspection, and can dive to depths of roughly 600 metres.
The US Central Command (CENTCOM), which oversees American military operations in the Middle East, quickly rejected Iran's claim. CENTCOM spokesman Captain Tim Hawkins told Al Jazeera that the US maintains full control over all of its operational drone assets.
This marks the second time in a matter of days that Tehran has announced capturing a US underwater device. Days earlier, the IRGC said it had intercepted a separate autonomous vehicle, a Dive-LD built by US defence firm Anduril, close to the entrance of the strategically vital strait. Washington has not yet issued a public response to that earlier claim.
Ongoing tension over the waterway
In its statement, the IRGC Navy repeated its assertion that the Strait of Hormuz remains closed, warning it would confront any unauthorised vessels or military activity there. Iran's army commander, Major General Amir Hatami, reaffirmed Tehran's claimed sovereignty over the strait, describing it as a matter of national honour and urging Gulf states to push for the removal of US forces from the region. He added that the conflict is not over and that Iranian forces remain ready to respond to further aggression. US President Donald Trump, for his part, said oil prices would fall once Iran ends the conflict, which he expects to happen soon.
