The U.S. military destroyed two Iranian small boats that tried to steal a Navy drone.
Axios, citing Iranian media’s Mehr News Agency, reported Tuesday that U.S. forces struck two fishing boats off the coast of Kargan and near Larak Island, in the Hormozgan province, on Monday, Sept. 14.
The publication said that the province’s deputy governor for security affairs, Ahmad Nafisi, said that an undisclosed number of fishermen had gone missing because of the attack and that search-and-rescue operations were underway.
But Axios, citing anonymous U.S. officials, said the boats had been used by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and that they were trying to steal the drone which was patrolling the Strait of Hormuz.
A U.S. official told Axios it fired two missiles, killing most of those on board and destroying the vessels in Iran.
“Iranian small boats recently attempted to take possession of a U.S. unmanned surface vessel, but they were unsuccessful after CENTCOM forcefully responded,” said U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) spokesperson Capt. Tim Hawkins, confirming the attempted seizure to Axios.
“The surface drone remains under U.S. operational control,” he added.
Strait of Hormuz Tension Continues
The United States’ military operation began on Feb. 28 and is rapidly approaching seven months, with no end in sight.
The strategic Strait of Hormuz remains a primary flashpoint, with Iran maintaining a rigid blockade of the waterway integral for global trade.
Despite recent technical agreements between Tehran and Oman regarding new shipping routes, Iranian officials insist the strait will not reopen until Washington meets its steep demands—which include ending sanctions and paying war reparations.
Meanwhile, CENTCOM has tightened its maritime pressure, redirecting 101 commercial vessels to enforce its counter-blockade.
Security in the corridor continues to deteriorate; the U.S. recently limited its air defense windows for transit tankers, while a projectile strike on an Iranian container ship killed a crew member.
President Donald Trump indicated he expects the war to continue through the upcoming U.S. midterm elections, keeping global oil prices highly volatile.
The war, elsewhere, continues. The U.S. military said it destroyed five Iranian oil tankers last Tuesday in response to the latest attacks on its warships. Tehran hit back at American targets in Jordan.
The Trump administration last Tuesday also imposed sanctions on additional elements of Iran’s aviation industry, targeting more than two dozen commercial and private airlines as well as foreign cargo service providers, in its new push to isolate Tehran from its remaining trading partners.
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