US says drone Iran claimed to have seized was inoperative
US military officials said that the underwater drone that Iran claimed to have seized in the Strait of Hormuz was inoperative and contained no sensitive data or classified equipment. As CNBC Top News reports, US Navy Capt. Tim Hawkins said this in a statement distributed by US Central Command.
Statement by the US military
According to Hawkins, the underwater drone operated by US forces had malfunctioned more than a day before his statement. The vehicle was surveying regional waters in support of ongoing operations, and US operations in these waters continue.
The US Navy representative stressed that it was an outdated model that did not collect sensitive data and did not have classified sonar or radar equipment.
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Iran's version
Earlier the same day, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said it had seized one of the most advanced US unmanned underwater vehicles at the entrance to the Strait of Hormuz. Iran's state-run Fars agency later released video and photographs that it said showed the vehicle after it had been lifted from the water.
Iranian media described the drone as a Dive-LD, an autonomous underwater vehicle developed by US defense contractor Anduril. According to DefenseScoop data from 2024, such a vehicle costs $2.5 million.
Tensions in the Persian Gulf
The incident occurred three days after new reciprocal attacks by the United States and Iran in the Persian Gulf. The United States said it struck three Iranian crude oil tankers in response to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps launching ballistic missiles at two US Navy ships.
