Official Media: Iran Seizes US Autonomous Submarine in Strait of Hormuz
- Iranian Revolutionary Guards seized a US ‘Remus 600’ autonomous underwater vehicle
- The vehicle is suspected of conducting espionage operations
Iran's Revolutionary Guards said on Sunday that they seized an American submarine drone in the strategic Strait of Hormuz, which Tehran has blockaded in the months-long Middle East war.
"Through a coordinated, complex operation involving intelligence oversight and electronic warfare, IRGC naval forces' personnel successfully captured an advanced unmanned underwater vehicle (UUV) belonging to the terrorist US military," the IRGC naval forces said in a statement, according to state TV.
They added that the drone was "operating in the Strait of Hormuz for espionage purposes", identifying the model as a Remus 600 autonomous underwater vehicle that was "now in the hands of the force's specialists for data recovery".
Earlier this month, the Guards said they captured another US submarine drone in the strait that was crucial for oil and gas trade before the Middle East war started in late February and choked off shipping.
Left out here: Leaves out what changes the picture
The article never reports that the US military denied the capture. A US spokesperson said it maintains "positive control" of its drones and called the Iranian claim "clearly desperate". It also leaves out that, after the earlier claimed capture, the Pentagon said a drone had malfunctioned. Without this, a reader may take the IRGC's account as undisputed.
How we know
- The Jerusalem Post reported“the US Army spokesperson said that it maintains "positive control" of all its UAVs, adding that the Iranian claim of having captured an advanced submarine in the Strait of Hormuz was "clearly desperate."”US denies IRGC claim that it captured second American submarine in Hormuz 'hunting ground' - report (opens in a new tab)
- The Jerusalem Post reported“a Pentagon spokesperson said an underwater drone had "malfunctioned more than a day ago."”US denies IRGC claim that it captured second American submarine in Hormuz 'hunting ground' - report (opens in a new tab)
Iran has maintained a blockade of the Hormuz strait since the outbreak of the conflict, while the United States has imposed a counter-blockade of Iranian ports.
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