Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said Thursday (local time) it struck a US military reconnaissance drone boat in the Strait of Hormuz. The photo shows Iran-backed Houthi rebels holding a fighter recruitment rally in Sanaa, Yemen.
Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said Thursday (local time) it struck a US military reconnaissance drone boat in the Strait of Hormuz. The photo shows Iran-backed Houthi rebels holding a fighter recruitment rally in Sanaa, Yemen.

The naval forces of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said Thursday (local time) they struck a US military unmanned reconnaissance vessel in the Strait of Hormuz.

Iran's state-run IRIB and other outlets said that day that IRGC Navy Commander Ali Azmayesh announced that his forces had "carried out a targeted strike on a US spy drone vessel bearing hull number 5838 in the Strait of Hormuz." Azmayesh said, "The Strait of Hormuz is currently under blockade and remains under the Revolutionary Guard's intelligence surveillance and smart control," adding that "any hostile movement will be a target for strikes."

The remarks appeared to reiterate the blockade of the strait and serve as a warning to vessels attempting to pass through Omani-side shipping lanes under US protection.

Earlier, the IRGC Navy claimed it had seized a state-of-the-art US unmanned submarine in the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday. The US military rebuffed the claim, saying the vessel was an outdated, malfunctioning submarine that Washington had abandoned.


kate01@heraldcorp.com