US denies Iran’s claim that it destroyed US sea drone in Strait of Hormuz

The US military’s Central Command (CENTCOM) on Friday denied an Iranian claim that its Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) had destroyed an unmanned US military surface vessel in the Strait of Hormuz.

“All U.S. military unmanned surface vessels in the Middle East are accounted for, including a squadron of advanced sea drones on patrol in the Strait of Hormuz supporting CENTCOM’s defensive layer,” CENTCOM said on US social media company X.

Earlier Friday, the Iranian Navy said it had destroyed an “enemy unmanned vessel” operating east of the strait, without identifying the vessel or its operator, according to a statement carried by the official IRNA news agency.

The Iranian Navy also said two tankers struck naval mines and caught fire after sailing in areas Iran considers restricted, while the IRGC Navy said it had stopped two tankers trying to transit the strait through unauthorized routes.

The incidents come amid rising tensions between Iran and the US over navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, a key route for global energy supplies.