US Responds To Iran's Claim Of Seizing Underwater Drone, Says It Was Defective & Carried No Sensitive Data

The United States has responded after Iran claimed that it captured an American unmanned underwater vehicle near the entrance of the Strait of Hormuz, saying the device had malfunctioned during a regional maritime survey and was an older system that did not carry sensitive equipment.

The US military issued the statement after Iran's navy, in an announcement carried by Sepah News, the official outlet of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), said it had seized what it described as one of the US military's "most modern, smart" unmanned submarines.

The Iranian side identified the vessel as a Dive-LD and claimed it was intercepted in what it described as a complex intelligence operation. Iran also released footage purportedly showing the captured underwater vehicle.

However, the US military did not confirm that the malfunctioning drone mentioned in its statement was the same vehicle Iran claimed to have seized.

"It was surveying regional waters in support of ongoing operations. The defective drone was an older model that neither collected sensitive data nor carried any classified sonar or radar equipment," a Pentagon spokesperson said.

Dive-LD, developed by Anduril, is capable of remaining at sea for up to 10 days without returning to its base and can reportedly descend to depths of around 6,000 metres (19,700 feet). DefenseScoop reported in 2024 that each unit costs approximately $2.5 million.

US Military Claims Destruction Of Five Iranian Tankers

The United States has also stepped up military action against Iran. US Central Command (CENTCOM) said American forces had destroyed five Iranian crude oil tankers after Iran's Revolutionary Guard attacked a US warship.

According to CENTCOM, the strikes followed two attempts by Iran to target the American vessel with ballistic missiles over a two-day period. The command announced the development in a post on social media.

US Expands Sanctions On Iranian Airlines

Washington has simultaneously increased economic pressure on Tehran. The US Department of the Treasury added 27 Iranian airlines to its Specially Designated Nationals List, effectively targeting the remaining Iranian carriers as part of a broader sanctions campaign.

The Treasury Department claimed that "Iran's commercial airlines have long supported the Iranian regime's destabilising activities," alleging that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps uses airlines that appear to be privately operated to procure and transport weapons and move personnel.

The US had previously sanctioned Iranian airline Mahan Air in October 2011 and, on July 30, imposed measures against several companies identified as general sales agents for the carrier.

The latest sanctions also target "covert front companies, foreign intermediaries, and deceptive transshipment routes that Iran relies on to obtain US-origin aircraft and sensitive technology," according to the Treasury statement.

Iran Vows To Continue Resistance

Amid the escalating confrontation, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian maintained that Tehran would continue resisting until the "aggressors" faced complete regret.

In a post on X, Pezeshkian reiterated Iran's stated opposition to war and said the country's priority remained protecting its people and regional security.

"The Islamic Republic of Iran has always been opposed to war and considered the preservation of the people's interests and ensuring the (West Asia) region's security to lie in refraining from warmongering," Pezeshkian said.

"However, just as it has courageously risen to defend against aggression up to this day, Iran will continue this resistance with strength until the aggressors are brought to complete regret and will remain the guardian of the rights of the great Iranian people," he added.