Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has claimed that its naval forces captured a U.S. unmanned underwater vehicle near the entrance of the strategically important Strait of Hormuz. Iranian state media described the operation as a complex intelligence and military mission and released images of what it identified as the captured vessel.
The vessel has been identified as a Dive-LD, an autonomous underwater vehicle developed by California-based defense company Anduril. The approximately 19-foot-long system is designed for missions including seabed mapping, mine countermeasures, intelligence gathering and inspection of underwater infrastructure.
Iran portrayed the seizure as a significant military and technological achievement, claiming the submersible represented advanced U.S. underwater technology. However, the U.S. military offered a substantially different account of the incident.
According to a Pentagon spokesperson, the underwater drone had malfunctioned more than a day earlier while surveying regional waters in support of ongoing operations. U.S. officials said it was an older model and did not contain classified sonar or radar equipment or sensitive data.
Anduril also confirmed the loss of one of its underwater vehicles, saying the Dive-LD is designed to operate in dangerous environments where losing the system is considered an acceptable possibility.
The incident comes amid heightened tensions between Washington and Tehran around the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial route for global energy shipments. The reported capture highlights the growing role of autonomous underwater systems in modern military operations and adds another layer to the escalating confrontation in the region.
