US Military Downplays Seizure of Anduril Autonomous Submarine by Iranian Forces

The U.S. military has downplayed the loss of an autonomous underwater drone reportedly captured by Iranian forces in the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday, clarifying that the craft had experienced a system failure and was devoid of sensitive intelligence or classified hardware.

In a official statement provided by U.S. Central Command to CNBC Business, which first reported the details, U.S. Navy Captain Tim Hawkins confirmed that an unmanned submersible operated by American military units suffered a breakdown more than 24 hours prior to the reports.

Captain Hawkins stated that the underwater drone "was surveying regional waters in support of ongoing operations" when the malfunction occurred, adding that overall "U.S. operations in area waters continue" without interruption.

The Pentagon's statement followed assertions made earlier Tuesday by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). According to a translated report published by Iranian state news agency Fars, the IRGC claimed to have trapped and secured "one of the most modern, intelligent, unmanned submarines of the American terrorist army at the entrance to the Strait of Hormuz."

To substantiate its claims, the Iranian state news outlet later released photographs and video footage displaying the captured aquatic drone after it had been extracted from the ocean.

However, American defense officials strongly rejected Iran's claims regarding the sophistication of the hardware. Captain Hawkins clarified that "The defective drone was an older model that neither collected sensitive data nor carried any classified sonar or radar equipment."

Iranian media organizations identified the captured craft as a Dive-LD, an autonomous undersea vehicle manufactured by U.S. defense technology firm Anduril. Defense industry publication DefenseScoop reported in 2024 that the autonomous submersibles are priced at approximately $2.5 million per unit.

The seizure comes just three days after American and Iranian forces exchanged military strikes in the Persian Gulf, renewing active combat in the region even as the Trump administration shifts its strategic objective toward weakening Tehran through economic measures.

U.S. forces reported striking three Iranian crude oil tankers over the weekend in direct retaliation for the IRGC launching ballistic missiles aimed at two U.S. Navy warships stationed in the area.