The U.S. military says an underwater drone Iran's Revolutionary Guard claims to have captured in the Strait of Hormuz was defective and carried no classified equipment. The incident follows attacks between U.S. and Iranian forces days earlier, including U.S. strikes on Iranian oil tankers, keeping the Persian Gulf on edge.
Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps said Tuesday it had trapped and captured what it called one of the most modern, intelligent, unmanned submarines of the American terrorist army at the entrance to the Strait of Hormuz, according to a translated post from state outlet Fars. The U.S. military pushed back the same day, insisting the drone was hardly a crucial piece of cutting-edge military tech.
Navy calls the drone defective
U.S. Navy Captain Tim Hawkins told CNBC that "an underwater drone operated by U.S. forces malfunctioned more than a day ago" while surveying regional waters in support of ongoing operations. Hawkins said the vessel neither collected sensitive data nor carried any classified sonar or radar equipment.
Iranian media identified the drone as a Dive-LD, an autonomous undersea vehicle built by defense contractor Anduril that costs $2.5 million each, according to a 2024 DefenseScoop report. Fars later released videos and images it said showed the vessel out of the water.
Attacks precede the drone dispute
The dispute over the drone came three days after the U.S. and Iran traded fire in the Persian Gulf. Iran reportedly launched an unacknowledged attack on U.S. Navy ships on Monday, according to a Wall Street Journal report, followed by a second attack in which no American ships were struck. The U.S. said it struck three Iranian crude oil carriers in retaliation for the IRGC firing ballistic missiles at two Navy warships.
Even so, the Trump administration shifts its strategy toward defeating Tehran economically alongside the military moves. The drone episode itself reflects the U.S. military's increasing dependence on autonomous tech to fight the war in the Middle East: a drone boat built by startup Saronic rescued a helicopter crew downed in the strait this summer, and Saronic's boats were later used in a strike on an Iranian submarine and ship facility.
Sources: CNBC, Crypto Briefing, Crypto Briefing
Trading involves risk.
Risk Disclaimer
