Iran Guards say seized US underwater drone in Hormuz

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards announced on Sunday that they had seized an American submarine drone in the crucial Strait of Hormuz. The Guards attributed the successful capture to a “coordinated, complex operation involving intelligence oversight and electronic warfare” by their naval forces. According to a statement from the IRGC naval forces, the drone was an advanced unmanned underwater vehicle (UUV) belonging to the U.S. military, which they claimed was being used for “espionage purposes” in the strategic strait.

The Guards specified the model of the drone as a Remus 600 autonomous underwater vehicle, which they said is now under the control of their specialists for data recovery. Earlier this month, the Guards had reported capturing another U.S. submarine drone in the strait, which they deemed vital for oil and gas trade before the Middle East war began in late February. This conflict has since resulted in a blockade of the Hormuz strait by Iran, while the United States has responded with its own counter-blockade of Iranian ports.