Iran's IRGC claims capture of US unmanned submersible in Hormuz Strait

The navy of Iran's Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) said Tuesday that its forces had captured one of the U.S. army's "most modern, smart" unmanned submarines at the entrance of the Strait of Hormuz earlier in the day.

In a statement published on the IRGC's official news outlet, Sepah News, 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, adding that it was delivered to the U.S. military in 2025.

The IRGC later released images of the submersible vehicle, which is identified as a large U.S. unmanned submarine measuring about 5.8 meters in length and weighing nearly three tons. The vehicle is capable of operating continuously underwater for up to 10 days, and reaching the depth of up to 6,000 meters. It is designed for a variety of missions, including underwater reconnaissance and surveillance, seabed mapping, mine detection, and support for anti-submarine warfare operations.

Following the IRGC's announcement, the U.S. 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, Iranian media reported that the Iranian Army's Air Defense Force had shot down a U.S. MQ-1 drone over the Strait of Hormuz.

The U.S. side has not yet responded to the claim.

U.S. stocks ended lower on Tuesday.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell by 628.18 points, or 1.18 percent, to 52,786.07. The Standard and Poor's 500 sank 45.08 points, or 0.58 percent, to 7,673.52. The Nasdaq Composite Index shed 85.58 points, or 0.32 percent, to 26,421.41.

Eight of the 11 primary Standard and Poor's 500 sectors ended in the red, with health and financials leading the laggards by dropping 2.55 percent and 1.43 percent, respectively. Meanwhile, energy and utilities led the gainers by adding 1.01 percent and 0.85 percent, respectively.