Tehran: The navy of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said that its forces captured one of the US Army’s “most modern, smart” unmanned submarines at the entrance of the Strait of Hormuz.
In a statement published on the IRGC’s official news outlet, Sepah News, Tuesday (local time), the IRGC navy said the unmanned underwater vehicle was captured in a complex intelligence and operational operation.
The submersible vehicle, identified as a Dive-LD, is equipped with the world’s most modern subsurface vehicle technology, it said, noting that its images will be released in the coming hours.
The IRGC also said in a separate statement Tuesday that its air defence systems had shot down an MQ-9 Reaper drone over the Strait of Hormuz, reports Xinhua, quoting Sepah News.
Following the IRGC’s announcement, the US military said in a statement that one of its underwater drones “malfunctioned” over a day earlier during a survey of regional waters, without mentioning whether the device was seized by Iran.
Meanwhile, Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian said Tuesday that the country will continue its resistance with strength until the “aggressors” are brought to complete regret.
In a post on social media platform X, he also highlighted Iran’s opposition to war.
“The Islamic Republic of Iran has always been opposed to war and considered the preservation of the people’s interests and ensuring the (West Asia) region’s security to lie in refraining from warmongering,” Pezeshkian said.
“However, just as it has courageously risen to defend against aggression up to this day, Iran will continue this resistance with strength until the aggressors are brought to complete regret, and will remain the guardian of the rights of the great Iranian people,” he added.
On February 28, Israel and the United States launched joint attacks on Tehran and other Iranian cities. Iran responded with waves of missile and drone attacks targeting Israel and US bases and assets in the region, and tightened its grip on the Strait of Hormuz.
On June 18, the United States and Iran signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on ending the war in the region. Under the MoU, they were scheduled to hold negotiations over 60 days, ending on August 17, to reach a final agreement, but the talks’ fate remains unclear after recent escalations between the two countries.
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