Iran claims second US drone seized in Strait of Hormuz, identifies it as Mk 18 Mod 2 Kingfish; US denies
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) reiterated its claim that it had captured a US underwater drone in the Strait of Hormuz, identifying the vessel as a Mk 18 Mod 2 Kingfish. The latest identification marks a change from the initial description by Iranian authorities, who had said the captured system was a REMUS 600.
Mk 18 Mod 2 Kingfish seizedÂ
In a post on X, the spokesperson for the IRGC, Second Brigadier General Hossein Mohebbi, confirmed that the naval force had seized the American ‘Mk 18 Mod 2 Kingfish’ autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV).
“The Strait of Hormuz is not only open, but a hunting ground for the IRGC Navy targeting American submarines; the second catch has been reeled in, this time the Mk 18 Mod 2 Kingfish; an advanced, autonomous AUV equipped with sonar and precision navigation, worth several million dollars. It’s not just a hunt; it’s a trophy of technology and intelligence,” the IRGC wrote.
Earlier, the IRGC Navy had claimed that it had seized this system, describing it as a REMUS 600 belonging to the United States military in the Strait of Hormuz.
‘Subsurface submarine of American terrorist army targeted’Â
According to an official statement carried by state broadcaster IRIB on Sunday, the operation targeted what Iranian military authorities described as the ‘second subsurface submarine of the American terrorist army,’ operating in the strategic waterway.
The IRGC said the capture was carried out through a ‘coordinated and complex operation’ involving Iranian military intelligence oversight and electronic warfare capabilities.
“With the help of God Almighty, the IRGC Navy soldiers, through a coordinated and complex operation with intelligence and electronic warfare, were able to trap an advanced UAV of the American terrorist army that was operating in the Strait of Hormuz for the purpose of espionage,” the statement read.
The intercepted platform was earlier identified by the IRGC Navy as a Remus 600, an intelligent, autonomous unmanned underwater vehicle, which Iranian officials alleged was conducting espionage missions inside the strait. “This submersible is a type of intelligent and advanced submersible called the Remus 600, which was captured by the IRGC Navy and is now in the hands of the force’s specialists to retrieve its information,” it added.
IRIB reported that the captured submersible has been handed over to specialist military technicians to analyse the system and recover stored data.
The IRGC Navy further reiterated its firm stance on maritime transit through the choke point, declaring the Strait of Hormuz closed and warning that it continues to take “strong and relentless” action against unauthorised traffic in the region, IRIB reported.
“The IRGC Navy firmly declares that the Strait of Hormuz is closed and we are taking strong and relentless action against dangerous movements and unauthorised traffic through the Strait of Hormuz,” the statement added. Â
US refutes Iran’s claimÂ
The US military has rejected claims by Iran’s Revolutionary Guard that it seized an advanced American underwater vehicle carrying out surveillance in the Strait of Hormuz.
US CENTCOM spokesman Captain Tim Hawkins told news agency Al Jazeera that the US retains “positive control of all of our operational drone assets,” dismissing the IRGC’s claim as “clearly desperate.”
(With ANI inputs)
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