Iran seizes US underwater drone in Strait of Hormuz

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards Navy has seized a US-made underwater drone in the Strait of Hormuz, accusing it of carrying out surveillance activities in the strategically important waterway.

Iranian state media reported on Sunday that the seized vessel was a Remus 600 autonomous underwater vehicle. The Guards said their forces detected and captured the drone using intelligence and electronic warfare capabilities.

Iranian specialists were examining the underwater vehicle to retrieve information stored on it, according to the report.

The seizure came as tensions between Iran and the United States remained high. Iranian Army spokesperson Mohammad Akraminia said the country’s armed forces were fully prepared for any possible renewed US attack.

He warned that Iran would respond more forcefully if Washington launched another offensive.

Iranian Army chief Amir Hatami also said the conflict had reached a critical stage and was not yet over. He described the current situation as decisive and said Iranian forces remained prepared for further confrontation.

Hatami also rejected suggestions that Iran’s leadership could collapse following the killings of senior Iranian officials during the conflict. He described such expectations as a miscalculation.

The Iranian commander further linked the conflict to the Strait of Hormuz, saying Tehran would not accept being prevented from conducting trade while foreign powers continued using the region’s strategic waterways.

Meanwhile, Yemen’s Houthi-run health ministry said seven people were killed and 40 others injured in a strike on shops near a market in Taiz province. The casualties reportedly included children.

Yemen’s internationally recognised government later said its forces had targeted a Houthi military camp and vehicles in the same area. Military sources told Reuters that the Houthis had recently established a camp close to the market.

The confrontation also continued on the economic front. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Washington had introduced financial measures targeting Iranian banks and aviation-related service providers under an operation aimed at increasing pressure on Tehran.

Bessent said Turkiye and Oman had stopped Mahan Air flights, while the United Arab Emirates had suspended flights operated by Iranian airlines. He also claimed that major banks in the UAE and Turkiye had stopped financial transactions with Iran.

Iran, however, has continued to call for a diplomatic solution. Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Tehran’s conditions for reopening the Strait of Hormuz remained unchanged and insisted that negotiations were the only way to resolve the crisis.

Iran had presented a peace proposal at the United Nations General Assembly and said it was delivered to the United States through Qatari mediators.

US President Donald Trump has publicly said he rejected the proposal, arguing that Iran was seeking an agreement because of the economic and military pressure it was facing.

Araghchi said Iranian officials had yet to receive an official rejection through the mediators. He said Tehran was waiting for the definitive US position before deciding its next step.