"Clearly Desperate": US Military Denies Iran's Underwater Drone Seizure Claim
US Central Command calls Iran's claim of capturing a US underwater drone "clearly desperate," asserting all assets are accounted for.
The United States military has issued a sharp rebuttal to allegations made by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) regarding the capture of an American unmanned underwater surveillance vehicle. Dismissing the claims as "clearly desperate," US officials have maintained that all high-tech maritime assets remain under their control.
US CENTCOM Asserts Full Control of Assets
Speaking to Al Jazeera, US Central Command (CENTCOM) spokesman Captain Tim Hawkins addressed the growing tension in the Strait of Hormuz. He categorically denied that any American unmanned systems had been lost or intercepted by Iranian forces. According to Captain Hawkins, the United States maintains "positive control of all of our operational drone assets," ensuring that every piece of equipment operating in the region is fully accounted for.
The US response comes as a direct counter to the narrative being pushed by Tehran, which suggests a significant breach in American maritime surveillance capabilities.
Iran Claims Capture of Advanced Submersible
The controversy erupted following a statement from the IRGC Navy, which claimed to have executed a "coordinated and complex operation" to intercept an autonomous unmanned underwater vehicle (AUV). While the IRGC initially identified the craft as a REMUS 600, they later confirmed the vessel to be a "Mk 18 Mod 2 Kingfish" belonging to the US military.
According to the Iranian state broadcaster, IRIB, the operation involved:
- Intelligence Oversight: Utilizing high-level military intelligence to track the vessel.
- Electronic Warfare: Using advanced electronic capabilities to "trap" the drone.
- Data Recovery: Handing the captured submersible over to specialists to analyze the system and retrieve stored information.
Iranian authorities characterized the drone as a "subsurface" tool used by what they termed the "American terrorist army" for the purpose of espionage within the strategic waterway.
Tensions Rise in the Strait of Hormuz
The IRGC Navy has used this incident to reinforce its dominance over the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global maritime choke point. In a stern warning, the IRGC declared the strait "closed" to unauthorized traffic and vowed to continue taking "strong and relentless" action against any movements deemed dangerous or unauthorized in the region.
As the rhetoric escalates between Washington and Tehran, the conflicting reports over the presence and status of advanced underwater technology continue to heighten geopolitical uncertainty in the Middle East.