Tehran (HRNW)- Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy has claimed that it seized a US Remus 600 unmanned underwater vehicle in the Strait of Hormuz, while the US military has rejected the claim and said it retains control of its operational drone assets.
According to Iranian state media, the IRGC said the underwater vehicle was conducting what it described as an intelligence mission in the strategically important waterway. Iranian officials said the vehicle had been handed over to military specialists for technical examination and recovery of its stored data.
US Central Command (CENTCOM) disputed the Iranian account. Spokesman Captain Tim Hawkins said the US military maintains “positive control” of its operational drone assets and described Iran’s announcement as a sign of desperation.
The reported incident has created a direct contradiction between Tehran and Washington over whether an American unmanned underwater vehicle was captured. No independent evidence has yet established whether Iran successfully seized the vehicle or otherwise obtained access to it.
The Remus 600 is an autonomous underwater vehicle designed for missions including underwater surveying, reconnaissance, and monitoring of maritime infrastructure. Its reported presence in the Strait of Hormuz comes amid heightened military tensions and sharply reduced commercial shipping through the waterway.
The latest allegation follows an earlier Iranian claim that it had captured another US unmanned underwater vehicle near the entrance to the Strait of Hormuz. US officials previously disputed that incident as well, saying the earlier vehicle had malfunctioned.
The Strait of Hormuz remains a major point of tension in the wider US-Iran conflict. Shipping traffic through the waterway has fallen sharply from pre-conflict levels, increasing international concern over the security of maritime trade and energy supplies.
Further details about the latest reported drone incident and any potential recovery of data from the vehicle remain unavailable, and independent verification is still pending.
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