US says it destroyed two Iranian boats near Iran
The US military said it destroyed two small Iranian boats in waters near Iran after they attempted to seize an American unmanned surface vessel. Asharq Al-Awsat reports, citing US Central Command.
US Central Command statement
CENTCOM spokesperson Captain Tim Hawkins said that Iranian small boats had recently attempted to seize an American unmanned surface vessel. According to him, the attempt failed after a decisive response by US Central Command forces.
According to Hawkins, it was a Saildrone, an autonomous surface vessel approximately 25 feet, or eight meters, long. US Central Command has been using such devices in the region for several years to monitor maritime traffic.
Hawkins also said that the location of all of the command's surface drones has been established. The US military had previously stated that the technologies used in Saildrone are commercially available and not sensitive in nature.
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Reports by Iranian media
Iranian state media reported on September 14 that two fishing boats were attacked in Hormozgan province on Iran's southern coast. Citing a provincial government representative, they said that several fishermen were missing.
The incident occurred amid the US-Iran confrontation over control of the Strait of Hormuz. According to the publication, a week earlier Iranian state television had reported that the country's navy seized an American underwater drone near the entrance to the strait.
Hawkins then said that the Anduril Dive-LD device malfunctioned while monitoring the region's waters and that the US military no longer possesses it. He also claimed that it was an old defective model that did not collect sensitive data and had no classified sonar or radar equipment.
