Iranian Revolutionary Guards say they seized US underwater drone in Hormuz

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said on Sunday that their naval forces had seized an American unmanned underwater vehicle in the Strait of Hormuz, according to a statement broadcast by Iranian state television. The Guards said the capture followed what they described as a coordinated operation involving intelligence monitoring and electronic warfare. They identified the vehicle as a Remus 600 autonomous underwater vehicle and said it was now being held by their specialists for data recovery.

The statement alleged that the drone had been operating in the strait for espionage purposes. The claim came from the Revolutionary Guards, and the supplied material did not include an immediate response from the United States or independent confirmation of the seizure. The Strait of Hormuz is described in the source material as a strategic route for oil and gas trade.

Iran has maintained a blockade of the waterway since the outbreak of the months-long Middle East war, while the United States has imposed a counter-blockade of Iranian ports. The Guards said this was not the first such seizure during the conflict. Earlier this month, they announced the capture of another American submarine drone in the strait.

According to the Iranian account, the latest operation involved naval personnel and electronic-warfare capabilities. The Guards referred to the US military in hostile terms in their statement and said the captured vehicle would be examined for information. The source material said the war began in late February and that the conflict had choked off shipping.

It provided no further details about the drone’s location, the circumstances of its capture or any action announced by Washington in response.