Iran navy attempts to capture US drones in Red Sea
A US military official rejected Iran's claims that the unmanned sea drones pose a hazard to commercial shipping in the region.
An Iranian warship picked up two US naval drones in the Red Sea on Thursday before releasing them Friday morning as American destroyers followed in pursuit.
The Iranian Navy frigate Jamaran found the unmanned Saildrone Explorers “abandoned in international maritime routes,” Iranian state media reported Friday.
Iranian media outlets aired footage said to show the ship’s crew later jettisoning one of the drones, which it had reportedly picked up after warning a nearby US warship that the unmanned vessels posed a hazard to maritime shipping lanes.
A US defense official speaking to Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity confirmed the incident took place but pushed back on Iran’s version of events, saying two US Navy destroyers operating nearby only followed the Iranian ship after it had picked up the drones in international waters and began to sail away.
