Iran Claims Capture of US Submersible Drone

The Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) Navy claimed on September 8 to have captured a U.S.-operated, unmanned underwater vessel in the Strait of Hormuz. A U.S. Central Command spokesman stated that a U.S. underwater drone had malfunctioned more than a day prior. The spokesperson clarified that the defective drone was an older model and did not collect sensitive data or carry classified equipment.

• Iran’s IRGC Navy claims to have captured a U.S.-operated submersible drone in the Strait of Hormuz on Sept. 8.
• The IRGC Navy described the event as a “complex intelligence and operational action.”
• U.S. Central Command confirmed that a U.S. underwater drone malfunctioned over a day prior.
• The U.S. spokesperson stated the drone was surveying regional waters and was an older model without sensitive data or classified equipment.
• U.S. operations in the area waters are continuing.