Iran's IRGC claims attack on US drone in strategic Gulf waters

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps claimed responsibility for attacking an uncrewed US vessel operating in the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday, marking an escalation in tensions within one of the world's most critical shipping corridors. The IRGC did not provide details on the extent of damage to the target or specify the type of unmanned system involved.

Separately, the UK Maritime Trade Operations center reported that projectiles struck two separate vessels transiting waters off the Sultanate of Oman, a nation bordering the Iranian coast. The incidents underscored mounting risks to commercial shipping in the Persian Gulf region, already strained by months of regional conflict.

The Strait of Hormuz handles roughly one-third of the world's maritime oil trade, making incidents in the waterway a concern for global energy markets and international shipping interests. Both claims emerged amid broader hostilities affecting Middle Eastern maritime security.

The US Navy maintains a significant presence in the Gulf region, operating various surface and subsurface assets. Iran has previously conducted operations against unmanned systems and vessels it characterizes as security threats to its territorial waters.