Iran Tried to Seize an Unmanned U.S. Vessel, CENTCOM Says: “We Responded Forcefully”

Iran has unsuccessfully tried to take control of an unmanned U.S. vessel, the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) announced, adding tension to the naval standoff between the two countries.

CENTCOM spokesman Capt. Tim Hawkins told Al Jazeera that “small Iranian boats recently tried to seize an unmanned U.S. surface vessel.” According to him, U.S. forces “responded forcefully” to the Iranian attempt.

“The unmanned vessel remains under our operational control,” Hawkins stressed, without giving further details on the exact location of the incident or the nature of the U.S. response.

The incident comes at a moment of dangerous escalation in regional waters: in recent days Iran has claimed to have downed several American MQ-1 drones near the Strait of Hormuz, while the U.S. and its allies are protecting oil sea routes from attacks by Tehran and the Houthis.

Unmanned vessels have become an increasingly important element of the U.S. naval presence in the region, carrying out surveillance and patrol missions in the hot waters of the Persian Gulf.

Source: Al Jazeera (https://www.aljazeera.com/news/liveblog/2026/9/15/iran-war-live-centcom-refutes-iran-claim-supertanker-hit-hormuz-mines)