US destroys Iranian oil carriers after missile attacks; Iran claims drone seizure near Hormuz

The United States has responded after Iran claimed that it captured an American unmanned underwater vehicle near the entrance of the Strait of Hormuz, saying the device had malfunctioned during a regional maritime survey and was an older system that did not carry sensitive equipment.The US military issued the statement after Iran's navy, in an announcement carried by Sepah News, the official outlet of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), said it had seized what it described as one of the US military's "most modern, smart" unmanned submarines.The Iranian side identified the vessel as a Dive-LD and claimed it was intercepted in what it described as a complex intelligence operation. Iran also released footage purportedly showing the captured underwater vehicle.'How's It Going, Trump?': Iran Embassy Uses Akhsay Kumar Meme To Mock US President Over Drone Loss, Oil Prices & US Elections However, the US military did not confirm that the malfunctioning drone mentioned in its statement was the same vehicle Iran claimed to have seized."It was surveying regional waters in support of ongoing operations. The defective drone was an older model that neither collected sensitive data nor carried any classified sonar or radar equipment," a Pentagon spokesperson said.Dive-LD, developed by Anduril, is capable of remaining at sea for up to 10 days without returning to its base and can reportedly descend to depths of around 6,000 metres (19,700 feet). DefenseScoop reported in 2024 that each unit costs approximately $2.5 million.US Military Claims Destruction Of Five Iranian TankersThe United States has also stepped up military action against Iran. US Central Command (CENTCOM) said American forces had destroyed five Iranian crude oil tankers after Iran's Revolutionary Guard attacked a US warship.$2.5 MILLION PENTAGON UNDERWATER DRONE SEIZED BY IRAN near STRAIT OF HORMUZ — Mehr US DISMISSES LOSS — ‘MALFUNCTIONED’ and ‘DEFECTIVE’, NO CLASSIFIED EQUIPMENT, ‘MODEL OLD’ pic.twitter.com/EQOSi395eF— RT (@RT_com) September 8, 2026 'Desperate, Bully & Aggressive': Philippines Defence Chief Teodoro Publicly Bashes China Over A 'Note' During His Speech At Seoul Forum - VIDEO According to CENTCOM, the strikes followed two attempts by Iran to target the American vessel with ballistic missiles over a two-day period. The command announced the development in a post on social media.US Expands Sanctions On Iranian AirlinesWashington has simultaneously increased economic pressure on Tehran. The US Department of the Treasury added 27 Iranian airlines to its Specially Designated Nationals List, effectively targeting the remaining Iranian carriers as part of a broader sanctions campaign.The Treasury Department claimed that "Iran's commercial airlines have long supported the Iranian regime's destabilising activities," alleging that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps uses airlines that appear to be privately operated to procure and transport weapons and move personnel.The US had previously sanctioned Iranian airline Mahan Air in October 2011 and, on July 30, imposed measures against several companies identified as general sales agents for the carrier.We just caught one of America’s most mysterious underwater toys:The Dive-LD can operate autonomously for 10 days at depths of up to 6,000 meters.The autonomous part ends with the machine becoming an involuntary Iranian acquisition.#Iran #Trump #War pic.twitter.com/wh8rLtKAai— Iran in Mumbai (@IRANinMumbai) September 8, 2026 'Attack On One Is Attack On All': Pakistan Warns Houthis As Makkah Defence Alliance With Saudi Arabia, Turkiye Could Be Activated | Watch The latest sanctions also target "covert front companies, foreign intermediaries, and deceptive transshipment routes that Iran relies on to obtain US-origin aircraft and sensitive technology," according to the Treasury statement.Iran Vows To Continue ResistanceAmid the escalating confrontation, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian maintained that Tehran would continue resisting until the "aggressors" faced complete regret.In a post on X, Pezeshkian reiterated Iran's stated opposition to war and said the country's priority remained protecting its people and regional security.Iran Escalates Conflict With US, Launches Missile Strikes On American Military Positions In Jordan After Oil Tanker Attacks | Watch "The Islamic Republic of Iran has always been opposed to war and considered the preservation of the people's interests and ensuring the (West Asia) region's security to lie in refraining from warmongering," Pezeshkian said."However, just as it has courageously risen to defend against aggression up to this day, Iran will continue this resistance with strength until the aggressors are brought to complete regret and will remain the guardian of the rights of the great Iranian people," he added.

IRGC Says 'Smart Submarine' Operated By US Seized In Hormuz, Releases Images Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) navy announced Tuesday it had captured an unmanned US submersible at the entrance of the Strait of Hormuz, a claim which corresponding photographs appear to back. The US side has yet to confirm the capture of the advanced naval drone, but some reports suggest it was "lost" after failing to operate properly. The IRGC statement called it a "complex intelligence and operational action." Tasnim identified the captured system is a Dive-LD in a report, describing the autonomous unmanned underwater vehicle built by US defense firm Anduril Industries. The Dive-LD is a very new, cutting edge weapon system, having only been delivered to the US military in 2025. It is able to operate up to ten days at a time without coming back to port or ship, and is reported to have a maximum operating depth of about 19,700 feet (6,000 meters). Later on the same day, an unnamed US official issued the following (via Newsquawk wire): US official says a US military underwater drone malfunctioned more than a day ago in the Middle East The sea drone may have been operating as part of a US mission to de-mine the Strait of Hormuz. It is capable of mapping the ocean floor, as well as rapidly locating floating mines and other water hazards. There have been recent widespread reports that elite Navy Seals have been engaged in a four-month mission to remove mines set in place by Iranian forces as part of its effort to close the Strait of Hormuz and hold global energy markets hostages to use as leverage against Washington. This undoubtedly confirms that in recent weeks, the U.S. has attempted to conduct a covert operation to clear the Strait of Hormuz. In fact, this naval drone is precisely a Dive LD, primarily used for mapping the seabed, inspecting underwater infrastructure, relaying and… https://t.co/z6zV7tmxDq pic.twitter.com/Cjb3egGW50 — MoloMonitor 🇮🇹 (@MoloWarMonitor) September 8, 2026 The above was not the only big Tuesday announcement by the Iranians: Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps claims its air defenses have “intercepted and destroyed” an MQ-1 drone over the Strait of Hormuz, according to an IRGC statement carried by Iranian broadcaster IRIB. The MQ-1 is a US-made remotely piloted drone often used for surveillance and reconnaissance. The Pentagon has not yet definitively weigh in on this claim either. A huge number of advanced US drones have either crashed or been intercepted throughout the war, so this would hardly be the first such loss by American forces. More images of sub capture: The submersible shown closely matches Anduril’s Dive-LD, an advanced large-displacement autonomous underwater vehicle deployed by the US Navy. 🇮🇷🇺🇸 IRGC captures advanced U.S.-made underwater drone in Strait of Hormuz The IRGC Navy has released new footage and photographs of the autonomous underwater vehicle it says it captured while entering the Strait of Hormuz. The vehicle shown closely matches Anduril’s Dive-LD,… pic.twitter.com/8t2QBtpmro — DD Geopolitics (@DD_Geopolitics) September 8, 2026 Tyler Durden Wed, 09/09/2026 - 06:55

Washington DC: US Central Command (CENTCOM) said that its forces destroyed five Iranian crude oil carriers in the Middle East on Tuesday, noting them as retaliatory strikes after the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) targeted an American Navy warship with ballistic missiles twice over a 48-hour period.CENTCOM forces destroyed five Iranian crude oil carriers, Sept. 8, after the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) targeted a U.S. Navy warship with ballistic missiles twice over the past two days. The U.S. warship successfully evaded the attempted Iranian attacks and… pic.twitter.com/Gi8a2tloN1— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) September 8, 2026 According to a statement by CENTCOM, the targeted American warship successfully evaded both attempted missile strikes and suffered no personnel injuries or operational damage, remaining on active patrol in regional waters."U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) forces destroyed five Iranian crude oil carriers, Sept. 8, after the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) targeted a U.S. Navy warship with ballistic missiles twice over the past two days. The U.S. warship successfully evaded the attempted Iranian attacks and continued to patrol regional waters. No American personnel were harmed," the statement read.M/T Riesco sinks in the Gulf of Oman, Sept. 8, after being destroyed by CENTCOM forces in response to attempted IRGC attacks on a U.S. Navy warship. pic.twitter.com/EkmG8uyMT9— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) September 9, 2026 CENTCOM stated that in response to the attempted attacks by Iran, US forces conducted coordinated strikes against five vessels belonging to Iran's state-linked maritime fleet. Four crude oil carriers, the M/T Kaviz, M/T Charminar, M/T Horizon 1, and M/T Riesco, were destroyed in the Gulf of Oman, while a fifth vessel, the M/T Derya, was hit near Kharg Island.It added that US forces issued direct instructions commanding the crews of all five vessels to evacuate prior to the strikes"In response to Iran’s most recent failed attacks, CENTCOM destroyed the IRGC crude oil carriers M/T Kaviz, M/T Charminar, M/T Horizon 1, and M/T Riesco in the Gulf of Oman as well as M/T Derya near Kharg Island. American forces directed the crews to abandon ship before the vessels were struck and rendered inoperable," CENTCOM stated.West Asia Conflict: Iran Claims It Captured US Underwater Drone Near Strait Of Hormuz As Tensions With Washington Escalate | Watch The US military command emphasised that the targeted fleet operates as a primary financial mechanism for Tehran's security apparatus, identifying the vessels as "part of a multibillion-dollar shadow network that funds the IRGC and its regional proxies.""Iran has no means by which to defend these vessels," it stated.Tuesday's action marks the second major operation against Iranian maritime infrastructure within three days."On Sept. 5, CENTCOM forces destroyed three Iranian crude oil carriers after the IRGC tried to attack a U.S. aircraft carrier and guided-missile destroyer. All IRGC attempts against U.S. Navy warships have failed," CENTCOM noted.On the other hand, Iran's IRGC launched ballistic missile strikes against a US military airbase in Jordan and two American Navy destroyers, according to state media reports.Russian President Vladimir Putin Tells President Donald Trump Russia Has No Plans For Europe, Claims Victory Is Near In Ukraine In an official statement carried by Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB), the IRGC stated that the military operation, codenamed "Ya Haidar Karrar", was launched to avenge recent US attacks on Iranian oil tankers.The IRGC confirmed that its forces targeted the US-operated Al-Azraq airbase in Jordan using liquid- and solid-fuel ballistic missiles. According to the statement, the strikes hit aircraft hangars and shelters housing F-35, F-16, and F-15 fighter jets."In response to the aggressive actions and evil harassment of Iranian oil tankers and ships by the terrorist army of the Great Satan, the powerful aerospace force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps... attacked the DDG-119 and DDG-53 combat destroyers carrying cruise and Aegis missiles with powerful ballistic missiles," the IRGC statement read."As a result of this attack, significant damage was caused to these vessels," it added.The IRGC added that its military operations will continue until all US attacks against Iranian shipping cease, warning Washington against any further actions in regional waters.Houthi Attacks Saudi Arabia, Over 70 Injured As Oil Facilities Hit "The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and other armed forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran continue to declare their firm determination to respond to the desperate actions of the US regime and warn the enemy against any miscalculation," the statement added.Regional air defences were activated across neighbouring countries as the missiles crossed regional airspace.According to Al Jazeera, Jordanian air defence units intercepted at least eight Iranian missiles over Amman and other cities.Al Jazeera also reported that multiple types of missiles were spotted near the Jordanian-Syrian border, while Syrian state television reported that Syria intercepted incoming Iranian missiles over the border city of Irbid.Earlier in the day, Iran’s IRGC Navy claimed that its forces had captured a US unmanned submersible at the entrance of the Strait of Hormuz during a complex intelligence and operational operation.According to IRIB, the IRGC Navy said the submersible was equipped with the latest technology in the underwater field and was delivered to the US fleet in 2025. (Except for the headline, this article has not been edited by FPJ's editorial team and is auto-generated from an agency feed.)

Tehran: Iran launched retaliatory missile strikes targeting Jordan on Wednesday, September 9, hitting the Muwaffaq Salti Air Base used by American forces, following an earlier US military attack on Iranian vessels.⚡️BREAKING: The IRGC has released Footage of the Seizure of US Navy's Advanced Dive-LD Autonomous Underwater VehicleThe United States was using it to Detect Mines in the Strait of HormuzThe Dive-LD contains Classified Technology and Iran will likely Share it with Russia and… pic.twitter.com/JznS0A2C7T— Iran Observer (@IranObserver0) September 8, 2026 In an official statement reported by the state-backed IRNA news agency, Iran's Revolutionary Guards announced that they "struck the American Al-Azraq base in Jordan with heavy missile strikes" as part of a designated "punitive operation".Shortly after the barrage, the Jordanian military announced that its air defence network intercepted and neutralised the incoming projectiles. According to an official army statement, Jordan's defence systems detected 20 incoming ballistic missiles, successfully destroying 18 of them, while two impacted unpopulated terrain. Iran has released footage it says shows the interception of the U.S. MQ-1 drone over the Strait of Hormuz earlier today.Source: @TabzLIVE on TG / Writer: Oliver https://t.co/Vfb7LL2IXP pic.twitter.com/hJJZFWrAVg— Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) September 8, 2026 The escalation follows actions by the United States Central Command (CENTCOM), which confirmed that American forces targeted five Iranian tankers connected to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps on Tuesday, September 8. The action came in retaliation against repeated missile assaults directed at a US Navy warship over the preceding 48 hours.CENTCOM specified that US assets struck four crude oil carriers situated in the Gulf of Oman alongside a fifth vessel near Kharg Island inside the Persian Gulf. Officials added that the targeted US warship successfully bypassed the incoming attacks, maintained its regional patrol route, and reported zero American casualties, while crews aboard the tankers were instructed to evacuate prior to the strikes. Weighing in on the developments during an official visit to Colombia, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio issued a direct warning to Tehran, asserting that Washington will retaliate continuously if Iranian forces target American naval assets.Addressing reporters in Barranquilla, Rubio stated, “Iran continues to try to hit US naval ships and for every time they do that, or try to do that, they’re going to lose tankers.”Amid the escalating exchange of strikes, international energy markets reacted swiftly, pushing oil prices upward for the fourth consecutive session. Brent crude futures climbed by USD 1.57, translating to a 1.6 per cent increase, reaching USD 94.49 per barrel during early Wednesday trading.Meanwhile, US West Texas Intermediate crude traded at USD 94.63 per barrel, marking an advance of USD 1.60, or 1.72 per cent.In a parallel development, the Iranian Revolutionary Guards claimed responsibility for seizing an uncrewed American submarine near the gateway of the Strait of Hormuz. Iranian state media outlets identified the captured hardware as a Dive-LD, representing a large autonomous underwater vehicle manufactured by the California-based defence contractor Anduril.The 19-foot submersible is engineered to perform diverse operations, including mine countermeasures, seabed mapping, intelligence gathering, and the examination of submerged critical infrastructure such as cables and pipelines, according to manufacturer specifications.Announcing the seizure through state media, the Revolutionary Guards Navy declared, "We trapped one of the most modern, intelligent and unmanned submarines of the terrorist American army at the entrance to the Strait of Hormuz. This submersible is equipped with the latest technologies."Countering the Iranian claims, a Pentagon spokesperson clarified that an underwater drone had experienced technical failure more than a day prior.Explaining the operational context, the spokesperson stated that the unit "was surveying regional waters in support of ongoing operations. The defective drone was an older model that neither collected sensitive data nor carried any classified sonar or radar equipment."(Except for the headline, this article has not been edited by FPJ's editorial team and is auto-generated from an agency feed.)