West Asia conflict LIVE: Iranian media says U.S. missile struck Iranian tanker off Kharg Island
Iranian state media claims its navy seized a U.S. underwater drone near the Strait of Hormuz. The U.S. military confirmed the loss of a non-sensitive, malfunctioning drone, dismissing the incident as a minor technical issue.
Why it matters
This incident highlights the ongoing maritime tensions between the U.S. and Iran in a critical global shipping corridor.
Iran’s navy captured one of the U.S. military’s underwater drones at the entrance to the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday (September 8, 2026), Iranian state television reported, saying the unmanned vessel had been “seized as a prize”.
Asked about the report, U.S. Central Command spokesman Captain Tim Hawkins said that an Anduril Dive-LD drone malfunctioned “more than a day ago” while surveying waters in the region and that the U.S. military no longer had possession of it.
Mr. Hawkins said the drone was a defective, older model that “neither collected sensitive data nor carried any classified sonar or radar equipment”.
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