The IRGC Navy stated that the submarine drone was captured during a complex operation combining electronic warfare and intelligence surveillance. The seized vessel was identified as a REMUS 600 Autonomous Underwater Vehicle, which the US military allegedly deployed for intelligence gathering and underwater surveillance along the 167-kilometer-long maritime passage. Iranian naval personnel are currently attempting to extract intelligence data from the device. This marks the second seizure of a US submarine drone by Iranian forces in the Strait of Hormuz during September 2026, amid the ongoing blockade enforced by Iran in the vital chokepoint through which approximately 20 percent of global petroleum trade flows.