US Drone Mishap in Hormuz Strait Leads to Iranian Seizure, IRGC Warns

Tehran – The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps reported that a U.S. SeaDrone Explorer surface craft was intercepted at the entrance to the Strait of Hormuz on September 11. The IRGC’s statement, posted on its official news channel, characterized the drone’s operation as hostile and said it was engaged as it approached the chokepoint.

The IRGC added that the SeaDrone Explorer has historically been employed by the U.S. Fifth Fleet and Task Force 59, both headquartered in Bahrain, a location that has already been targeted by Iranian strikes. The current deployment, according to Tehran, is being carried out by a unit located in Khasab, Oman.

In a separate announcement, the IRGC navy claimed it had captured one of the most modern U.S. unmanned submarines, identified as a "Dive‑LD" model. The U.S. military later attributed the incident to a technical failure that caused the drone to surface during a routine maritime survey, without confirming whether the equipment was seized.

The IRGC reiterated its stance that Hormuz remains under Iranian control and warned that any adversarial presence would be dealt with decisively.