The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy said it had targeted two US vessels and eight tankers in the Persian Gulf in response to a US attack on five Iranian tankers, while also capturing an underwater drone and targeting 10 ships attempting to transit what it described as a prohibited and unsafe zone in the Strait of Hormuz.
In a statement, the IRGC Navy said the operations were carried out in response to the “aggression and mischief” of the “terrorist American army” against five Iranian tankers in the Persian Gulf. It said the two US vessels and eight tankers targeted in the operation had sustained heavy damage.
The force also said it had captured an underwater drone during the operations, adding another military dimension to the confrontation. The capture of an underwater system is particularly significant because such platforms can be used for surveillance, reconnaissance and other maritime operations, although the IRGC statement did not provide further details about the drone or its alleged operator.
The IRGC Navy said 10 additional vessels attempting to cross the prohibited and unsafe zone of the Strait of Hormuz had also been targeted. According to the statement, the vessels were attempting to make the crossing with the encouragement and support of the US military.
The Iranian military did not identify the two US vessels or the eight tankers it said were targeted, and it did not provide detailed information about the reported damage. The statement also did not specify where or how the underwater drone was captured. The claims were issued by Iranian military authorities and were not independently substantiated in the statement.
The latest operations represent a significant escalation in the confrontation between Iran and the United States around the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz. The combination of reported attacks on surface vessels, the targeting of commercial tankers and the capture of an underwater drone points to an increasingly complex maritime confrontation.
The IRGC Navy also reiterated that the Strait of Hormuz remained under the “firm monitoring and management” of its forces. The declaration signals Tehran’s determination to maintain close control over maritime movements through the strategic waterway and to challenge vessels it considers to be operating in violation of restrictions imposed by Iranian forces.
Iran has presented the latest operations as retaliation for what it described as an American attack on five Iranian tankers. The IRGC statement portrays the sequence of events as a direct response to US military action rather than an independent escalation by Iranian forces.
The reference to vessels attempting to cross a prohibited and unsafe zone, together with the allegation that they were encouraged and supported by the US military, places commercial shipping directly within the confrontation. The reported capture of an underwater drone further broadens the scope of the dispute from surface shipping to underwater military activity.
The precise circumstances surrounding the reported attacks, the alleged damage to the vessels and the capture of the underwater drone remain unclear from the Iranian statement. No independent details were provided about the identities or capabilities of the drone, the US vessels or the tankers involved.
Nevertheless, the IRGC Navy’s account sends a clear message that Iran intends to assert its ability to monitor and interfere with maritime activity in and around the Strait of Hormuz. By reporting attacks on multiple vessels and the capture of an underwater drone, Tehran is presenting its forces as capable of challenging both surface and underwater activity in the strategically important waterway.
The latest claims therefore raise the stakes of the confrontation beyond a conventional exchange involving naval vessels. With commercial tankers, US-linked shipping and underwater military technology now forming part of the Iranian account, the security of maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz faces renewed uncertainty.
