Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has captured a US autonomous underwater vehicle in the Strait of Hormuz. According to an IRGC Navy statement, the military UROV was conducting espionage in the strategic waterway. The IRGC identified the vessel as a Remus 600, an advanced autonomous underwater vehicle used by the US Navy for mine detection, surveillance, and reconnaissance.
The IRGC released footage of the vehicle being lifted from the water and said specialists are now working to recover its data. The incident is the second reported this month, following a series of drone incidents in the Strait of Hormuz. In early September, Iran said it had seized a US underwater drone, with IRGC footage appearing to show an Anduril-built Dive-LD.
The Pentagon acknowledged losing the submersible but said it was an older, damaged model carrying no sensitive data or classified equipment. Days later, the IRGC said it had destroyed a US Saildrone Explorer near the entrance to the strait, releasing footage of the craft burning in the water. In mid-September, the US military said it had thwarted an IRGC attempt to seize another Saildrone, striking two Iranian boats allegedly involved.
The incidents come amid an escalating maritime standoff between Washington and Tehran. The US has destroyed several Iranian oil tankers after accusing the IRGC of firing ballistic missiles at US warships. Iran, meanwhile, has targeted US vessels and commercial tankers it accused of violating restrictions around the Strait of Hormuz.
Earlier this week, reports claimed that Washington had increased military activity around the waterway, with reconnaissance aircraft spotted near Iranian territory and additional fighter jets reportedly deployed to the region. The US has not yet commented on the latest incident. Meanwhile, this week's diplomatic efforts to break the Iran-US deadlock appear to have failed.
At the UN General Assembly, Iran presented what Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi called a "concrete seven-day plan," offering to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and resume nuclear talks if Washington lifted its naval blockade, eased restrictions on Iranian oil exports, released frozen assets, and observed a ceasefire, including an end to Israel's operations in Lebanon.
US President Donald Trump rejected the proposal as "unacceptable." Iran's top army commander, Major General Amir Hatami, on Sunday argued that the "war is not over," insisting Tehran had won the initial phase of the conflict but now needs to "consolidate its victory." The IRGC also warned that the Strait of Hormuz remains "closed," saying it will continue confronting what it described as "dangerous movements and unauthorized" vessel activity.
Key points
- Iran's IRGC captured a US autonomous underwater vehicle in the Strait of Hormuz.
- The incident is the second reported this month, amid an escalating maritime standoff between Washington and Tehran.
- US President Donald Trump rejected Iran's proposal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and resume nuclear talks.
