US rejects Iran's claim of capturing underwater drone, calls move 'desperate'

The US military has dismissed Iran's Revolutionary Guard claims that it seized an advanced American underwater vehicle in the Strait of Hormuz, describing the assertion as "clearly desperate." According to a spokesperson from US Central Command, the US maintains "positive control of all of our operational drone assets," disputing the IRGC's claim.

Earlier, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) announced the capture of a second advanced US unmanned underwater vehicle, the Remus 600, in the same strategic waterway. The IRGC claimed the operation was a "coordinated and complex operation" involving military intelligence and electronic warfare capabilities. Iranian officials further alleged that the drone had been conducting espionage missions within the strait.

The captured vehicle was reportedly handed over to specialist military technicians for analysis and data recovery. Earlier this month, the IRGC captured a US uncrewed submarine near the Strait's entrance, identifying it as the Dive-LD, a high-tech submersible capable of various underwater tasks including espionage. In response, a Pentagon spokesperson stated that the captured drone malfunctioned over a day prior and was conducting routine surveillance for ongoing operations.

The older model, according to the spokesperson, did not gather sensitive data or carry classified sonar or radar equipment.