Iran Guards claim capture of ‘one of smartest’ US submarines in Strait of Hormuz

The Revolutionary Guards of Iran announced on Tuesday that they had captured an advanced unmanned U.S. submarine in the crucial Strait of Hormuz. This high-tech vessel, delivered to the American forces in 2025, represents one of the most sophisticated submarines in the U.S. military arsenal. The Guards claimed the capture was the result of a meticulously planned intelligence operation conducted at the entrance of the Strait.

The statement, broadcast by state television, revealed that the captured submarine possesses state-of-the-art technology for underwater reconnaissance and surveillance, seabed mapping, mine detection, and the inspection of submarine cables and pipelines. Images of the captured drone are expected to be released in the hours to come.

Experts highlighted the submarine's primary functions, which include subsurface reconnaissance, mapping the ocean floor, identifying mines, and inspecting crucial underwater infrastructure like pipelines and cables. Iran has been enforcing a blockade on the Strait of Hormuz, a waterway that facilitates about a fifth of the global oil and liquefied natural gas exports.