Iran Guards say seized unmanned US submarine drone in Hormuz
Vessels at the Strait of Hormuz, as seen from Musandam, Oman, Sept. 6. Reuters-Yonhap
TEHRAN — Iran's Revolutionary Guards on Tuesday said they seized an American submarine drone in the strategic Strait of Hormuz, which Tehran has blockaded in the months-long Middle East war.
"The IRGC naval forces captured one of the most modern, unmanned, and smart submarines of the U.S. terrorist army at the entrance to the Strait of Hormuz in a complex intelligence and operational action at dawn today," the Guards said in a statement carried by state TV.
"This smart submarine is equipped with the latest technology in the subsurface field in the world, which was delivered to the U.S. terrorist army fleet in 2025," the statement added.
"This submarine has now been captured and images of it will be released in the coming hours."
Iranian media reported that the unmanned underwater vehicle's main capabilities included "subsurface reconnaissance and surveillance, seabed mapping, mine detection and inspection of submarine cables and pipelines."
Iran has maintained a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, which normally carries about a fifth of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas exports, since the outbreak of the war in late February.
The U.S. has imposed its own counter-blockade of Iranian ports.
Iran says it plans to charge fees from transiting vessels to fund services including environmental protection, something the U.S. fiercely opposes.