TEHRAN, Iran- Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps says it has captured an American autonomous underwater drone at the entrance to the Strait of Hormuz.
The unmanned submersible, identified as a Dive-LD, was recovered by Iranian forces after it reportedly stopped operating during a US surveillance mission in the region.
Iranian state media described the vessel as a sophisticated American military system and circulated images said to show the drone being retrieved from the water.
The Pentagon confirmed that the United States had lost an underwater drone but disputed Iran’s characterisation of the incident.
US officials said the vessel was an older model that malfunctioned during a maritime survey and remained inoperable in the water for more than a day before Iranian forces recovered it.
The Pentagon said the drone did not contain classified equipment or sensitive sonar and radar systems.
The Dive-LD is a 19-foot autonomous underwater vehicle developed by California-based defence technology company Anduril Industries.
It can conduct missions including seabed mapping, inspection of underwater infrastructure, intelligence gathering and detection of naval mines.
The vehicle is designed to operate without a crew for up to 10 days and can reportedly descend to depths of about 6,000 metres. Each unit is estimated to cost approximately $2.5 million.
Anduril confirmed the loss, saying the drone was built for high-risk missions where the possibility of losing equipment is anticipated.
The incident occurred amid escalating tensions between Washington and Tehran around the Strait of Hormuz and a strategic passageway for global oil and gas shipments.
US Central Command said American forces destroyed five Iranian crude oil carriers on September 8 after the IRGC twice targeted a US Navy warship with ballistic missiles.
CENTCOM said the warship successfully avoided the attacks and no American personnel were injured.
Iran has previously captured US unmanned vessels operating in the region.
In 2022, Iranian forces briefly seized two American surface drones in the Red Sea before releasing them following the intervention of US naval forces.
