Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has released new footage it claims shows a captured U.S. underwater drone near the Strait of Hormuz. U.S. military officials, however, stated the unmanned vessel had malfunctioned more than a day earlier and was an older, defective model.
U.S. Central Command spokesperson Capt. Tim Hawkins described the submersible as carrying no sensitive data or classified sonar or radar equipment. The IRGC, conversely, characterized the captured submersible as a modern, unmanned U.S. submarine.
Despite the differing accounts of the vessel's status and capabilities, U.S. officials indicated that operations in the region were continuing. The incident highlights ongoing tensions and maritime activity in the strategically important Strait of Hormuz.