IRGC Navy Controls Remus 600 Underwater Drone in Strait of Hormuz, Warns of Response

IRGC seizes Remus 600

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps announced it had controlled and captured an advanced American unmanned underwater vehicle, identifying it as a Remus 600 model, in the Strait of Hormuz. The IRGC Navy said it seized the drone through “a coordinated, complex operation involving intelligence oversight and electronic warfare,” and it said Iranian specialists were examining the craft to recover data stored on it.

The IRGC also declared that the Strait of Hormuz is “closed,” warning of a firm response to any attempts to traverse routes they deem illegal. Iran’s Army commander Amir Hatami said, “The war has not ended,” and he called for readiness to “deal strong blows to the enemy.”

Reporting for this sectionAl-Jazira NetANews

Diplomacy and threats

Iran’s foreign minister Abbas Araghchi said he was leaving diplomacy on the table so as not to “miss any chance for peace,” while also saying his country is ready for a “doomsday” war with the U.S.

Araghchi said he proposed reopening the strait and resuming nuclear talks with the U.S. within seven days if the Trump administration accepts its conditions, and the U.S. President Donald Trump rejected Iran’s proposal.

U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Michael Waltz said Iran’s most recent offer was a “cynical attempt to put something on the table that they knew was unacceptable,” and he said the president will leave all options on the table to ensure the world is safe.

Iran’s armed forces spokesman Abu Fadl Shakarchi warned Washington that any attempt to control the Strait or impose its will there will be met with strong Iranian strikes, as the IRGC political affairs official denied the American narrative about continuous passage of ships and oil tankers.

Reporting for this sectionCNBCAl-Jazira Net

Competing claims and stakes

U.S. Central Command spokesperson Captain Tim Hawkins denied Iran’s claim, saying the U.S. maintains “positive control of all of our operational drone assets,” and he described the IRGC claim as “clearly desperate.”

The IRGC Navy said the Remus 600 was “now in the hands of the force’s specialists to retrieve its information,” and it reiterated that the Strait of Hormuz is closed to unauthorized traffic.

Iran’s announcement came as the Strait of Hormuz remained a vital chokepoint in a months-long Middle East war, with Iran blockading the strait and the United States imposing a counter-blockade of Iranian ports.

CNBC said the conflict has severely restricted energy shipments from the Middle East, sending oil prices soaring, and it reported West Texas Intermediate dropped 2.3% to close at $92.41 per barrel while Brent declined 2.1% to settle at $104.32.

Reporting for this sectionMiddle East EyeCNBC