Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has claimed that its naval forces captured a United States unmanned underwater vehicle in the strategically important Strait of Hormuz, escalating tensions between Tehran and Washington over the vital waterway.
The IRGC Navy said on Sunday, September 27, that its forces intercepted the underwater vehicle during what it described as a coordinated operation involving intelligence capabilities and electronic warfare. Iranian state media identified the system as a Remus 600 autonomous underwater vehicle.
According to the IRGC, the underwater drone had been operating in the Strait of Hormuz for what Iranian authorities described as espionage. The Guards said the vehicle was now in the possession of Iranian specialists, who were attempting to recover information from the system.
The latest claim has not been independently verified. Reports indicate that the United States has not publicly confirmed that Iran captured the Remus 600. Middle East Eye reported that the US military rejected Iran’s claim, while other reports said there had been no public confirmation from Washington concerning the latest incident.
The reported seizure comes less than three weeks after Iran announced that it had captured another US underwater drone near the entrance to the Strait of Hormuz. That earlier incident involved a Dive-LD autonomous underwater vehicle developed by California-based defence technology company Anduril Industries.
In the earlier case, US military officials acknowledged the loss of the Dive-LD but said the vehicle had malfunctioned while surveying regional waters in support of ongoing operations. A US Central Command spokesman said the older system did not carry classified sonar or radar equipment. Anduril also described the platform as an expendable autonomous system designed to operate in dangerous environments where loss of the vehicle is possible.
The Remus 600 identified by Iran is a different underwater system. The autonomous vehicle is designed for missions including underwater surveying, seabed mapping, mine-related operations and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance. Iran has not publicly provided independent evidence establishing the precise mission the vehicle was conducting when it was allegedly captured.
The latest development comes amid a wider confrontation between Iran and the United States over the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most strategically important maritime routes. The waterway connects the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman and has long been critical to international oil and gas shipments.
Iran has maintained that the strait is closed amid the ongoing conflict, while the United States has imposed a counter-blockade on Iranian ports, according to recent reports. The confrontation has contributed to continuing uncertainty over commercial shipping and energy supplies in the region.
The reported capture of another American underwater system could add another dimension to the confrontation, particularly if Iranian specialists are able to examine the vehicle’s equipment or recover operational data. However, the extent of any intelligence value cannot currently be established from the information publicly available.
For now, the reported seizure remains an Iranian military claim rather than an independently confirmed capture. Further statements from US military authorities or additional evidence concerning the vehicle could clarify what happened in the Strait of Hormuz.