Iran Claims Capture of US Submarine Drone

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) says it has seized an American unmanned underwater vehicle near the entrance to the Strait of Hormuz, amid heightened military tensions between Tehran and Washington.

Iranian state media identified the vessel as a Dive-LD, an autonomous underwater vehicle developed by California-based defence company Anduril.

The 19-foot system is designed for missions including seabed mapping, mine detection, intelligence gathering and inspection of underwater infrastructure.

The IRGC described the vessel as a highly advanced American military system and released footage it said showed the captured drone. However, the United States said the incident was not the result of an Iranian military victory.

A Pentagon spokesperson acknowledged that an American underwater drone had been lost but said it malfunctioned more than a day earlier.

U.S. officials also indicated that the particular vehicle was an older model and did not contain classified systems or sensitive data.

Anduril, the company behind the Dive-LD, confirmed the loss and said the vehicle was designed to operate in high-risk environments where losses could occur.

The incident comes as tensions around the strategically important Strait of Hormuz continue to escalate.

The waterway is a crucial route for global energy shipments, and recent clashes between Iran and the United States have raised concerns over further disruption to oil and commercial shipping.