Iran's Revolutionary Guards claim capture of U.S. Remus 600 underwater drone in Hormuz
Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said Sunday its navy seized a U.S. Remus 600 unmanned underwater vehicle in the Strait of Hormuz and was recovering data from it. The claim, reported by Iranian state media and carried by CNBC and AFP, came as Tehran digs in on conditions for reopening the waterway after President Trump rejected its seven-day plan. U.S. Central Command did not immediately comment.
AI-assisted · US Brief desk · Sources listed below
What happened
Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said Sunday that its navy captured a U.S. Remus 600 unmanned underwater vehicle in the Strait of Hormuz, a claim reported by Iranian state media and carried by CNBC and AFP. U.S. Central Command did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
What Iran says: In a statement quoted by state broadcaster IRIB and the Tasnim News Agency, the IRGC Navy said forces seized an "advanced unmanned underwater vehicle (UUV) belonging to the U.S. terrorist army" during what it called a coordinated intelligence and electronic-warfare operation. It identified the craft as a Remus 600, alleged it was operating in the strait for espionage, and said specialists were recovering its data. The statement again declared the Strait of Hormuz closed to unauthorized traffic.
Where it sits: The claim lands amid a stalled push to reopen the waterway, through which about a fifth of the world's oil usually moved before the war that began Feb. 28. President Donald Trump said Saturday he had rejected Iran's seven-day roadmap to reopen Hormuz and restart nuclear talks. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Sunday Tehran still awaits a definitive U.S. reply through mediators and will not drop its conditions, which include ending the U.S. naval blockade of Iranian ports and releasing frozen assets.
Why it matters
A verified capture of a U.S. Navy-type UUV would sharpen the underwater contest in a chokepoint already choked by mutual blockades and would undercut hopes that weekend diplomacy alone can calm shipping risk. Even as an unverified claim, it adds military friction just as oil markets head into Monday's open with Trump's rejection of Tehran's roadmap unresolved.
What’s next
Watch for any CENTCOM or Pentagon statement, Iranian photos or telemetry claims, whether mediators convey a formal U.S. counteroffer, and oil's reaction when trading resumes.
More context
Prior UUV episode: Earlier this month, the Guards said they recovered another U.S. underwater drone near the strait — identified in Western reporting as an Anduril Dive-LD. U.S. officials said at the time that craft had malfunctioned and was "dead in the water" before Iran took it. Sunday's Remus claim is a separate incident and has not been independently verified.
U.S. silence so far: CNBC said Central Command did not immediately reply to an emailed request for comment. Until Washington confirms or disputes the seizure, the Remus 600 identification, the espionage allegation, and the data-recovery claim remain Iranian assertions.
4 listed sources
- CNBC (Azhar Sukri), Sep 27, 2026: Iran foreign minister keeps indirect talks with U.S. open; IRGC claims Remus 600 capture
- AFP via Arab News, Sep 27, 2026: Iran Guards say seized US underwater drone in Hormuz
- Anadolu Agency, Sep 27, 2026: Iran says it seized US underwater drone in Strait of Hormuz
- BBC, Sep 27, 2026: Iran says it will wait for official US response after Trump rejects Strait of Hormuz proposal
References listed by US Brief; a source count is not a verification score.
Editorial sourcing notes
The Remus 600 seizure is an Iranian claim carried by IRGC statements via state media (IRIB/Tasnim) and reported by CNBC (Azhar Sukri, Sep 27, 2026) and AFP (via Arab News, Sep 27). U.S. Central Command had not commented as of CNBC's report; treat the capture, espionage allegation, and model identification as unverified unless Washington confirms. Context on Trump's rejection of Iran's seven-day Hormuz plan and Araghchi's Sunday remarks follows the same CNBC report and BBC coverage. The September 8 Dive-LD recovery is prior reporting (DefenseScoop and others) and is separate from Sunday's Remus claim.
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