Day 213 | Iran claims seizure of an underwater US drone in Hormuz, US denies the claim
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy claims to have intercepted a US REMUS 600 underwater vehicle during a reconnaissance mission in the Strait of Hormuz, saying it was seized through a “coordinated intelligence and electronic warfare operation” and handed over to Iranian military experts to retrieve its data. The US military denied the claim, with US CENTCOM spokesman Captain Tim Hawkins telling Al Jazeera that the US maintains “positive control of all of our operational drone assets.”
The REMUS 600 is an autonomous underwater vehicle used by the US Navy and several NATO member states. Equipped with sensors, cameras and sonar systems, it is designed for surveillance, seabed mapping, mine countermeasures and underwater inspections, with an operating depth of up to 600 meters. The latest Iranian claim comes days after the IRGC said it had intercepted another US autonomous underwater vehicle, identified as a Dive-LD, near the entrance to the Strait of Hormuz.
The IRGC Navy also reiterated that the Strait of Hormuz remains closed, warning that its forces would confront unauthorized passage or military activity in the waterway. Iran’s Army Commander-in-Chief, Major General Amir Hatami, reaffirmed Tehran’s control over the strait and called on Gulf countries to push US forces out of the region. He said, “the war is not over,” describing the conflict as being at a “critical and decisive stage” and saying Iran must consolidate what he called its victory.
US President Donald Trump, meanwhile, said oil prices would fall “as soon as Iran gives up” and the war ends, adding that this would happen “soon.” The comments came as Tehran continued to maintain that the Strait of Hormuz would remain closed until what it describes as US economic warfare against Iran comes to an end.
Mojtaba Khamenei says ‘enemy forces’ would soon be driven out of Arabian Sea
Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei has said Iranian forces have pushed enemy forces from waters off southern Iran toward the Arabian Sea, warning that they would soon be forced out of the area as well, according to Iranian state media.
“Having suffered painful blows from our valiant combatants and the guardians of the Strait of Hormuz, they [the enemy] dare not venture beyond the Arabian Sea,” Khamenei said in a message marking Sacred Defence Week, which commemorates the Iran-Iraq War.
He added that the time was approaching when the Arabian Sea would also be “cleared of their presence.”
Khamenei’s remarks also coincided with the anniversary of the killing of former Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in 2024.
Iran’s currency the rial hits historic low against US dollar
Iran’s rial has fallen to its lowest level ever against the US dollar, reaching 2.3 million rials per dollar in the country’s free foreign exchange market, according to Pashizi.com, which tracks exchange rates.
The sharp depreciation comes as Iran faces severe inflation and tighter US sanctions aimed at increasing financial pressure on Tehran.
Inflation drives food prices higher
Iran’s annual inflation rate has reached 61.4 percent, while official data shows food prices rose 128.1 percent year-on-year.
The currency’s decline is expected to further increase the cost of imported goods and add to pressure on household purchasing power.
Iran adviser warns of new front if US starts another war
A military adviser to Iran’s Supreme Leader has warned that Tehran would open a new front against Washington if the United States launches another war.
The adviser said Iran did not target any non-military sites during the 40-day war, claiming that its attacks were limited to US military bases.
Iran says it filed complaint with UN aviation watchdog over US restrictions
- Iran’s Civil Aviation Organization filed a formal protest with the International Civil Aviation Organization, its chief said.
- Tehran says the complaint challenges US restrictions targeting Iranian airlines.
- The move comes after Washington tightened sanctions on Iran’s aviation sector.
Iran has filed a complaint Monday with the United Nations aviation agency over US restrictions targeting the country’s airlines, the head of Iran’s Civil Aviation Organization said on Monday.
“To defend the legitimate rights of the aviation industry and counter illegal restrictions imposed by America, Iran has drafted and submitted a formal protest to the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO),” Abouzar Shiroudi said, according to Iran’s state news agency IRNA, AFP reported.
The complaint follows new US measures targeting Iran’s aviation sector, which have led to the cancellation or suspension of most international flights.
Read more: Iraq says in talks with US to exempt some airports from restrictions on Iranian airlines
Bessent says Iran could have ‘nothing left to trade’ within two weeks
- US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Iran could complete its remaining oil deliveries to China within two weeks.
- He estimated about 15 million barrels of Iranian oil remain to be delivered.
- Bessent said the US economic pressure campaign was leaving Tehran increasingly isolated.
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on Sunday that Iran could complete its remaining oil deliveries to China within two weeks, leaving Tehran with “nothing left to trade for anything.”
Bessent, speaking to Fox News, said about 15 million barrels of Iranian crude remained out for delivery. He said Iran would make its final deliveries to China “probably within the next two weeks.”
He said the situation reflected the impact of the Trump administration’s economic pressure campaign against Tehran, which includes sanctions and measures aimed at restricting Iran’s oil exports.
Bessent also said China had “substantially reduced” assistance to Iran, rejecting claims that Beijing was continuing to provide significant support.
His comments came as tensions between Washington and Tehran remained high, with the two sides divided over the terms of a potential deal and the status of the Strait of Hormuz.
Bessent said Iran was “feeling the pressure” and suggested the economic measures were contributing to Tehran’s interest in reaching an agreement.
Read more: Iran has no plans for new US talks, state media says
Iran has no plans for new US talks, state media says
- Iran’s delegation in New York has no plans for a new round of negotiations with Washington, state media reported.
- Tehran is awaiting a US response to proposals conveyed through Qatar.
- The comments came after US President Donald Trump said he expected talks with Iran to resume
Iran has no plans for a new round of negotiations with the United States in New York, Iranian state media reported on Monday.
A source close to Iran’s delegation in New York told state-run IRNA that Tehran was awaiting a response from Washington to proposals it had conveyed through Qatar last Tuesday.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi is due to leave New York on Tuesday after completing his scheduled engagements, the source said.
The comments came after US President Donald Trump said he expected talks with Iran to resume in the coming week, despite rejecting an Iranian proposal for a seven-day truce and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran has said any reopening of the strategic waterway would depend on conditions including an end to hostilities and other measures sought by Tehran.
The latest statements indicate that Washington and Tehran remain publicly divided over the terms and timing of any renewed negotiations.
Read more: Iran seizes US submarine in Strait of Hormuz, Iranian media says
Three drones target Azadi camp in Iraq’s Kurdistan region
- The camp is linked to an Iranian Kurdish opposition group.
- Similar drone attacks have repeatedly targeted Iranian Kurdish opposition sites in the Kurdistan region.
Three drones targeted Azadi camp in Koya district of Iraq’s Kurdistan region, according to Roya's Iraq correspondent.
Azadi camp, located east of Erbil, is affiliated with the Kurdistan Democratic Party of Iran (KDPI), an Iranian Kurdish opposition group whose members have been based in camps across the Kurdistan region.
The camp has previously been targeted by drone and missile attacks. In April, five drones struck or approached the site, causing material damage but no reported casualties, according to Rudaw.
In June, three drones also targeted the Azadi camp, with one striking the camp’s hospital, according to Shafaq News. No casualties were reported in that attack.
Iran has repeatedly accused Iranian Kurdish opposition groups based in Iraq’s Kurdistan region of threatening its security. Tehran has previously carried out strikes against their positions, while some Iran-aligned Iraqi armed groups have also claimed responsibility for attacks elsewhere in the Kurdistan region.
The Kurdistan region has faced a wider wave of drone and missile attacks since the start of the regional conflict in February. Rudaw said its tracking had recorded more than 1,000 such attacks across the region since the conflict began, with 32 people killed and 156 wounded as of Sep. 24.
The latest attack comes amid continued tensions surrounding the presence of Iranian Kurdish opposition groups in the Kurdistan region and repeated strikes on their bases and camps.
Read more: Saudi says it destroyed two Houthi drones targeting Riyadh
IRGC repeats claim to have seized US underwater drone in Hormuz
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has claimed that its forces seized a second US underwater drone in the Strait of Hormuz.
IRGC Navy spokesman Brigadier General Hossein Mohebbi said on X that the strait was "not only not open" but had become a "hunting ground" for the IRGC Navy’s capture of US underwater vessels.
"The second catch has been reeled in, this time the Mk 18 Mod 2 Kingfish," Mohebbi said, describing it as an advanced autonomous drone equipped with sonar and precision navigation and worth several million dollars.
He called the alleged seizure "a technological and intelligence prize" and attached a picture previously circulated by the IRGC that identifies the vessel as a REMUS 600.
The IRGC Navy had earlier said the underwater vehicle was a REMUS 600 and that Iranian military specialists were extracting data from it.
The US military has denied that any US underwater drone assets were captured.
