Iran claims it seized American submarine at Hormuz, US says drone malfunctioned

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) claimed it has captured an unmanned US submarine at the entrance to the strategic Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday, as the months-long war in West Asia intensified with a series of attacks.The Iranian naval forces said they seized the unmanned vessel in what they described as a "complex intelligence and operational action" at dawn. The forces also released a video of the submarine, while the US said an underwater drone had malfunctioned."The IRGC naval forces captured one of the most modern, unmanned and smart submarines of the US terrorist army at the entrance to the Strait of Hormuz in a complex intelligence and operational action at dawn today," the Guards said in a statement carried by Iranian state television.Iranian media subsequently released video and still images purportedly showing the captured US submersible, as well as footage of what was described as its interception by Iranian forces. The footage showed an unmanned underwater vehicle that matched archive imagery of a Dive-LD model. However, the location and date of the footage could not be verified. No older versions of the footage were found posted online before September 8.The footage also purportedly showed the interception of the submersible, which Iran said occurred at the entrance to the Strait of Hormuz. The location and date could not be independently verified.US SAYS UNDERWATER DRONE MALFUNCTIONED The US military disputed the characterisation of the incident, saying one of its underwater drones had malfunctioned more than a day earlier while surveying regional waters."An underwater drone operated by US forces malfunctioned more than a day ago. It was surveying regional waters in support of ongoing operations," US Central Command spokesperson Captain Tim Hawkins said. He did not say whether the malfunctioning drone was the same device Iran claimed to have captured.He also said the drone was an older model and did not contain sensitive or classified equipment."The defective drone was an older model that neither collected sensitive data nor carried any classified sonar or radar equipment," Hawkins said.There was no immediate confirmation from Washington that Iran had seized the underwater vehicle.IRAN SAYS IT SHOT DOWN US DRONESeparately, the Iranian Army said its air defence forces had shot down a US MQ-1 drone over the strategic Strait of Hormuz. In a statement on Tuesday, the Army said its forces detected, tracked and targeted the drone in southeastern Iran before striking and destroying it.The Army said the operation was carried out using "a new advanced air defence system" and added that it was conducted "under the control of the country's integrated air defence network."The reported downing of the MQ-1 came as Iran and the United States exchanged a series of attacks in and around the Gulf.IRGC SAYS IT ATTACKED 10 SHIPSIran's Revolutionary Guards also said its forces had attacked 10 ships attempting to cross what it described as a "prohibited and unsafe" area of the Strait of Hormuz. According to Iranian state media, the IRGC said it attacked two US vessels and eight oil tankers in the Gulf.The Guards said the attacks were in response to what they described as a US attack on five Iranian tankers.The Iranian statement came after the US military said it had destroyed five Iranian crude oil carriers on Tuesday.US Central Command released video of the strikes and said the attacks were carried out in response to the IRGC targeting a US Navy warship with ballistic missiles twice over the previous two days. The US said no Americans were harmed.US Secretary of State Marco Rubio defended the action while speaking to reporters during a visit to Colombia."Iran continues to try to hit US naval ships and for every time they do that or try to do that, they're going to lose tankers," Rubio said.Central Command said the Iranian tankers were part of a shadow network that funds the IRGC and its regional proxies.IRAN STRIKES US BASE IN JORDANIran subsequently retaliated with a ballistic missile attack on a US base near Al Azraq in Jordan, according to an IRGC statement carried by Iranian state media. It also published video it said showed Iranian missiles being launched towards Jordan.Iran claimed its missiles inflicted heavy damage on the US base. Jordan, however, said its air defences intercepted 18 of the 20 Iranian missiles. The remaining two missiles fell in unpopulated areas, Jordan said, adding that there were no casualties.Iran has targeted US allies in the region during the war, including Jordan several times. One such strike in July killed two US military personnel.The IRGC separately said it had attacked two US destroyers, according to Iranian state media. The US military had not immediately responded to that report.US DESTROYS 5 IRANIAN TANKERSThe US military, meanwhile, said it destroyed five Iranian oil tankers, describing the strikes as a response to recent Iranian attacks on US warships.Washington had warned that it would, "if necessary, destroy Iran’s limited and exposed oil fleet." Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the US would not allow Iranian attacks on its naval forces to go unanswered.“Iran continues to try to hit US naval ships. And for every time they do that or try to do that, they’re going to lose tankers. And I think you’ll see that again today,” Rubio said.The latest US military action came alongside a broader economic push by President Donald Trump’s administration to isolate Tehran. On Tuesday, the administration imposed sanctions on additional elements of Iran’s aviation industry, targeting more than two dozen commercial and private airlines as well as foreign cargo service providers.The US and Iran are also contesting control of the Strait of Hormuz, through which about one-fifth of the world's oil passed before the war began. The escalating confrontation has pushed up energy prices further, creating an added political challenge for Trump and his Republican Party ahead of the November midterm elections.- EndsPublished On: Sep 9, 2026 09:03 IST