US Navy says it foiled Iranian attempt to capture sea drone in Persian Gulf
- US Navy said sea drone was released after it deployed patrol boat and helicopter to location
- While interception ended without incident, tensions remain high between Washington and Tehran
The US Navy said it thwarted an attempt by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps to capture an unmanned American vessel in the oil-rich Persian Gulf, as tensions persist despite efforts by the countries to resolve their deadlock over restoring the 2015 nuclear deal.
After an IRGCN ship was spotted towing the Saildrone Explorer late on Monday, a nearby US patrol boat responded by launching a combat helicopter, according to a statement by the US Navy’s 5th Fleet.
The Iranian vessel then disconnected its tow line from the sea drone and left the area four hours later without further incident, according to the US account.
“IRGCN’s actions were flagrant, unwarranted and inconsistent with the behaviour of a professional maritime force,” said Vice Admiral Brad Cooper, commander of US Naval Forces Central Command, in a statement.
“US naval forces remain vigilant and will continue to fly, sail and operate anywhere international law allows while promoting rules-based international order throughout the region,” he added.
The seven-metre (23-foot) drone ship is commercially available and equipped with sensors, radars and cameras for navigation and data collection. The ship doesn’t store sensitive or classified information, the US Navy said.
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Iran’s paramilitary Guard, which answers only to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, did not acknowledge the incident. Iran’s mission to the United Nations did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
But Iran’s state-run Nour News called the US Navy’s account a “false, Hollywood narrative”, adding that the Iranian ship “seized control of and towed the American boat to ensure the safety of the shipping route and prevent possible incidents”.
The boat was released at the order of the IRGC ship’s commander after Americans were “made to understand issues pertaining to security and safe navigation,” Nour said, without saying where it obtained the information.
The altercation comes at an intense time for Washington and Tehran in their protracted efforts to restore the landmark atomic accord that lifted sanctions on Iran’s economy – including vital oil exports – in exchange for strict curbs on its nuclear activity.
The latest bid to revive the agreement has been framed by European mediators as a final push, and the bloc has spent the past two weeks ferrying proposals between the countries as they haggle over remaining sticking points.
President Donald Trump’s exit from the nuclear deal in 2018 triggered a security crisis in the Persian Gulf that’s been largely defined by tit-for-tat attacks on shipping and energy installations in the area.
Additional reporting by Associated Press
