US Destroys Two Iranian Boats After Attempt to Seize Saildrone Near Strait of Hormuz

Two Iranian small boats were destroyed by a US military drone near the Strait of Hormuz on the night of September 14 after the boats tried to take possession of an American unmanned surface vessel. The drone remained under American control.

CENTCOM confirmed the encounter. "Iranian small boats recently attempted to take possession of a U.S. unmanned surface vessel, but they were unsuccessful after CENTCOM forcefully responded," spokesperson Captain Tim Hawkins said. An aerial drone fired two missiles, one per boat. Most of those aboard were killed.

The unmanned vessel targeted was a Saildrone, a roughly 25-foot autonomous craft used by the US Navy for maritime surveillance in the region.

Iran did not confirm the military account. Iranian officials in Hormozgan province described the craft as fishing boats and reported fishermen missing after what they called a US drone strike off the port of Kargan near Larak Island.

MarineRadar recorded 195 unique devices tracking the Ras al-Khaimah and Hormuz region in the past 48 hours, a period that included this incident and the September 16 data showing only four commercial ship crossings through the strait.

The seizure attempt came in the context of a sustained US-Iran confrontation that has disrupted commercial shipping for weeks. An Iranian commercial cargo ship was struck near Qeshm Island, killing one crew member, the day before this incident. Earlier in the conflict, CENTCOM struck three Iranian tankers after the IRGC launched ballistic missiles at US Navy warships near Hormuz.

This is at least the second time the IRGC has attempted to seize or interfere with US unmanned systems in the strait since the conflict began in February. The first attempt involved an underwater drone.