Pentagon Admits Malfunction As Iran Captures US Submarine Drone

• The IRGC says it captured an American unmanned submarine at the entrance to the Strait of Hormuz, but Pentagon admits the drone malfunctioned.

• The seizure follows US attacks on five Iranian oil tankers after missile strikes on an American warship, but Washington insists the drone was an older model without classified equipment or sensitive data

• The intensifying clashes around the strategic waterway have sent oil prices above $100 a barrel and raised fears of wider disruption.

September 09, () — Iran and the United States have moved into another dangerous phase of their escalating confrontation after the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) announced the capture of an American unmanned submarine at the entrance to the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz.

The IRGC said its naval forces seized the underwater drone in what it described as a complex intelligence and operational mission, while Iranian state media released images of the vessel.

The United States confirmed that an American underwater drone had fallen into Iranian hands but sharply rejected Tehran’s portrayal of the incident as the capture of an advanced operational military asset.

A Pentagon spokesperson said the drone had malfunctioned more than a day earlier while surveying regional waters in support of ongoing operations.

The US military said the vehicle was an older model and did not collect sensitive information or carry classified sonar or radar equipment.

Iranian state media identified the captured vessel as a Dive-LD, a 19-foot (5.8-metre) autonomous underwater vehicle developed by California-based defence technology company Anduril.

The Dive-LD is designed for a range of underwater missions, including mine countermeasures, seabed mapping, intelligence gathering and inspection of underwater infrastructure such as pipelines and communication cables.

THEWIILL learnt that the autonomous vessel can operate for up to 10 days without returning to base and is capable of diving to depths of about 6,000 metres.

The IRGC, however, portrayed the capture as a major military achievement.

Iranian Revolutionary Guards Navy officials described the vessel as one of the United States’ most modern and intelligent unmanned submarines and said it had been intercepted at the entrance to the Strait of Hormuz.

Escalating US-Iran Military Confrontation

The incident occurred against the backdrop of the most intense maritime escalation between Washington and Tehran in the six-month-old conflict.

The United States said it destroyed five Iranian oil tankers in the Gulf of Oman and near Kharg Island after accusing Iran’s Revolutionary Guard of launching ballistic missiles at a US Navy warship on two occasions.

US Central Command said the warship successfully evaded the attacks and that no American personnel were injured.

The five tankers identified by the US included the M/T Kaviz, M/T Charminar, M/T Horizon 1, M/T Riesco in the Gulf of Oman and M/T Derya near Kharg Island.

US forces said crews were ordered to abandon the vessels before they were struck and rendered inoperable.

Iran subsequently retaliated with missile attacks on US forces at Al Azraq in Jordan and claimed attacks on American naval vessels and other tankers in the region.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, meanwhile, defended Washington’s actions and warned that Iran would face further losses if it continued attacking American naval forces.

The latest confrontation has placed the Strait of Hormuz at the centre of growing international concern.

The narrow waterway is one of the world’s most important energy corridors, linking the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman and providing a major route for oil exports from the Middle East. The conflict has already severely disrupted shipping through the waterway. Financial Times reported that oil flows through the Strait had fallen from about eight million barrels per day to roughly one million barrels per day as the conflict intensified.

The disruption has triggered a sharp reaction in global energy markets. Brent crude climbed above $100 a barrel on Wednesday for the first time since July, as traders priced in the growing possibility of prolonged supply disruptions and further attacks on energy infrastructure and shipping.