Iran’s military said it had seized an American-made underwater drone near the Strait of Hormuz. The US military said the unscrewed system was malfunctioning and was “dead in the water.”
The Navy has deployed unmanned submarine and surface ships in and around the Middle East for an increasing number of missions, including mine clearance, intelligence gathering, rescuing military personnel and conducting strikes.
On Tuesday, Iranian state media said the country’s naval forces had captured an “advanced” US Navy underwater drone near the entrance to the Strait of Hormuz during an intelligence operation.
The Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting shared photos on social media of what it identified as the US drone, including how it was pulled out of the water and close-ups of the machine.
A spokesperson for US Central Command, which oversees military operations in the Middle East, told Business Insider that “an underwater drone operated by US forces malfunctioned more than a day ago” while inspecting regional waters. The official said the undersea drone was “an older model that did not collect sensitive data or carry classified sonar or radar equipment.”
Because the drone malfunctioned, it was “essentially dead in the water for over a day,” the spokesperson added. The outage occurred before Iran’s announcement.
The incident is not the first time Iran has attempted to seize a US Navy drone. For example, in September 2022, the Iranian destroyer Jamaran captured two American drone boats, pulled them out of the Red Sea and examined them on deck.
At the time, the Navy responded by sending two guided-missile destroyers, USS Nitze and USS Delbert D. Black, as well as an MH-60R Sea Hawk helicopter. The Iranian crew had tried to hide the drones on the deck by covering them with a tarpaulin, but eventually they jettisoned the ships.
The Navy has increasingly integrated unmanned capabilities into operations around Iran and the Middle East. Before the outbreak of the American war with Iran in February 2026, the drones were mainly used gather intelligence and track Iranian gunboats and warships.
As fighting between the US and Iran continues this year, US forces have used drones in other ways. In April, the Navy said underwater drones were helping warships clear Iranian mines from the Strait of Hormuz.
And in July, the Navy deployed its new one Saronic Corsair naval drones to attack an Iranian submarine and ship maintenance facility. The same brand of drone also rescued the crew of a downed US Army AH-64 Apache helicopter in regional waters.
