US Drones Strike Iranian Boats After Attempted Seizure of Unmanned Vessel

U.S. military drones struck two small Iranian boats on Monday after they attempted to seize an American unmanned naval vessel during a patrol in the Strait of Hormuz, according to U.S. officials. The incident, which was not initially disclosed by the U.S. military and was described by Iranian media as a drone attack on "fishing boats," occurred near the port city of Qargan, close to Qeshm Island in Iran's Hormozgan province.

An American official stated that Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps used the fishing boats in the attempted takeover of the U.S. Navy's unmanned vessel, which is used for patrols in the Strait of Hormuz. After U.S. forces detected the seizure attempt, a drone launched two missiles, destroying the Iranian boats and killing most of their crew.

Captain Tim Hawkins, spokesperson for U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), confirmed the incident, stating, "Small Iranian boats recently attempted to seize a U.S. unmanned vessel, but failed after CENTCOM forces responded forcefully." He added, "The unmanned vessel remained under American operational control."

The incident occurred as the U.S. is increasing tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, with joint efforts alongside Gulf states to allow more vessels to transit during daylight hours. Following increased conflict with the Houthis in the Red Sea, Saudi Arabia has significantly increased its oil tanker shipments through the strait. U.S. forces have also expanded mine-cleared sections of the strait's mid-channel. Approximately 40 vessels transit the strait daily under U.S. military guidance and protection, with an average of 14 million barrels of oil exported daily.