Iran Claims Capture of Second US Underwater Drone in Strait of Hormuz

Iran Claims Capture of Second US Underwater Drone in Strait of Hormuz

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has claimed that its naval forces captured a second U.S. unmanned underwater vehicle in the strategically important Strait of Hormuz, accusing the vehicle of conducting surveillance activities in the waterway.

The IRGC Navy said on Sunday, September 27, that the Remus 600 autonomous underwater vehicle was intercepted during what it described as a complex operation involving intelligence capabilities and electronic warfare.

According to the Iranian military, the vehicle was operating in the Strait of Hormuz for what it described as espionage purposes when it was captured.

The IRGC said the underwater drone has been handed over to specialists who are working to retrieve and examine information stored on the system. (Arab News)

The claim represents the second reported Iranian capture of a U.S. underwater drone in September, following an earlier incident involving a much larger Dive-LD autonomous underwater vehicle.

On September 8, Iran said its forces had captured the Dive-LD at the entrance to the Strait of Hormuz. The IRGC subsequently released images of the vehicle and described it as an advanced U.S. military unmanned submarine.

The U.S. military acknowledged around that time that one of its underwater drones had malfunctioned while operating in regional waters but did not publicly confirm that Iran had captured it. Reuters footage from the incident showed the vehicle identified by Iran as a Dive-LD. (Reuters Connect)

The latest vehicle, the Remus 600, is substantially smaller than the Dive-LD. It is an autonomous underwater system designed to operate without a crew and can be configured for a range of underwater missions.

Available technical information indicates that the Remus 600 can operate at depths of up to about 600 metres and can remain underwater for extended periods, depending on its configuration and operating conditions.

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The system can be equipped for missions including seabed mapping, mine detection and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR). Its modular design also allows different sensors and equipment to be fitted according to mission requirements.

Reports indicate that the vehicle is about 3.25 metres long and can operate autonomously for up to about 70 hours on a single charge, although actual endurance depends on mission configuration and conditions. (Seoul Economic Daily)

Iran’s latest announcement comes amid heightened military tensions surrounding the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow waterway connecting the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman.

The strait is strategically important to global energy markets because of the large volume of oil and gas shipments that traditionally pass through it.

The ongoing conflict in the region has severely disrupted commercial shipping through the waterway. Iran has said it considers the strait closed and has warned against what it describes as dangerous or unauthorised activity.

In its latest statement, the IRGC again declared the Strait of Hormuz closed and said it would respond to what it considers dangerous movements or unauthorised passage. (ایرنا)

The United States has not publicly provided a detailed account of the latest alleged seizure, leaving important questions about the circumstances of the incident unresolved.

In particular, it remains unclear when and where the Remus 600 was deployed, what mission it was conducting, whether it was operating under direct U.S. military control at the time and how Iranian forces allegedly took possession of it.

Iran’s assertion that the vehicle was conducting espionage also remains an Iranian military claim and has not been independently established.

The seizure claim nevertheless highlights the growing importance of autonomous underwater vehicles in modern military and maritime operations.

Such systems can conduct surveillance, map underwater terrain, detect mines and gather information without placing personnel aboard a conventional submarine.

The reported Iranian effort to retrieve data from the Remus 600 could also provide Tehran with an opportunity to examine the vehicle’s sensors, navigation systems and other technologies if the equipment is intact.

The significance of any information Iran could obtain from the system would depend on the condition of the vehicle and the amount of recoverable data and technology.

The latest development comes as Iran-US tensions remain high over the Strait of Hormuz, with Tehran and Washington pursuing opposing positions on access to the waterway.

For now, the capture of the Remus 600 remains a claim by Iran, while the absence of a detailed U.S. account means that several aspects of the incident cannot yet be independently confirmed.

Iran Claims Capture of Second US Underwater Drone in Strait of Hormuz