In a statement broadcast on state television, the Revolutionary Guards said, “The IRGC Navy today at dawn, in a complex intelligence and operational action, seized one of the most advanced, unmanned and smart submarines of the American terrorist forces at the entrance to the Strait of Hormuz.”
The claim places the alleged capture at the entrance to the Strait of Hormuz, a strategically important maritime route that Iran has blockaded since the war began in late February 2026.
The United States has not yet commented on the development. According to a report by the government-backed Press TV, the IRGC said it would release photographs and detailed video footage of the captured American equipment within the next few hours.
Iranian media reported that the unmanned underwater vehicle (UUV) was designed for underwater reconnaissance and surveillance, mapping the sea surface, detecting mines, and inspecting submarine cables and pipelines.
Iran has kept the Strait of Hormuz under blockade since the war began at the end of February 2026. Under normal circumstances, about one-fifth of the world’s total oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports pass through the strategically important maritime route.
In response, the United States has imposed a blockade on Iranian ports. Tehran, meanwhile, says it wants to collect fees from vessels passing through the strait for services such as environmental protection, while Washington has consistently opposed the move.
The IRGC’s claim of capturing a US unmanned underwater vehicle adds another development to the continuing confrontation surrounding the Strait of Hormuz, where the movement of vessels and control of the strategic waterway remain central to the ongoing dispute.
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