Iran says it captured US unmanned vessel in Hormuz Strait

The Iranian Revolutionary Guard said its naval forces struck and captured the autonomous drone at the entrance to the Strait of Hormuz, a vital chokepoint through which roughly one-third of global maritime oil trade passes. Officials did not immediately provide details about the circumstances of the seizure or the condition of the vessel.

The Strait of Hormuz, lying between Iran and Oman, has been a flashpoint for military encounters between Tehran and Western navies in recent years. The US military maintains a significant naval presence in the Persian Gulf and surrounding waters, regularly deploying unmanned systems for surveillance and reconnaissance operations.

Iran has previously claimed to have seized or disabled American unmanned vessels in the region. The country's military has grown increasingly assertive in waters near its coastline, conducting exercises and intercepting foreign military equipment it says were operating in its territorial waters.

The US Navy has not yet commented on the Iranian claim. American officials have previously downplayed similar assertions by Iranian authorities regarding captured or damaged equipment.