The US has denied Iran's claim it has captured a second US underwater drone in the Strait of Hormuz. Iran's Revolutionary Guards said the drone was intercepted during a reconnaissance mission, but US Central Command said it had not lost control of its operational drones.
“We maintain positive control of all of our operational drones“, CENTCOM spokesman Captain Tim Hawkins told “Al Jazeera“. He described the Iranian announcement as a “clear sign of desperation“.
Iran claims to have captured REMUS 600
Earlier, the Iranian naval forces of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps announced that they had intercepted a US underwater drone in the Strait of Hormuz. According to the statement, the device is of the REMUS 600 type and was performing a reconnaissance mission.
The IRGC claims that the operation was carried out through coordinated reconnaissance actions and electronic warfare means. The Iranian side also stated that the device was handed over to military specialists who are to extract data from it. These claims have not been independently confirmed.
This is the second such claim in September
On September 8, Iran announced the capture of another American underwater vehicle near the entrance to the Strait of Hormuz. At the time, the United States admitted that it had lost the machine, but said that it was a malfunctioning Dive-LD that had been out of control for more than a day.
The US military said that the Dive-LD was an older model, using commercially available technology, and did not have classified sonar or radar systems. According to the Associated Press, Washington has downplayed the significance of the first incident, saying that the device did not collect sensitive information.
The new Iranian statement refers to a second device, but for now it remains controversial. Tehran presents the case as a successful operation in the Strait of Hormuz, while the United States denies losing control of an operating drone. The disagreement is the latest episode in the ongoing standoff between the two countries over the strategic sea route.
Sources: Interfax, Al Jazeera