IRGC Claims Seizure of US Mk 18 Mod 2 Kingfish Underwater Drone in Strait of Hormuz

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has repeated its claim of seizing a US underwater drone in the Strait of Hormuz, saying the vessel was a Mk 18 Mod 2 Kingfish — a revised identification after Iranian authorities initially described the captured system as a REMUS 600. In a post on X, IRGC spokesperson Second Brigadier General Hossein Mohebbi confirmed the reported seizure and described the underwater vehicle as an American system. “The Strait of Hormuz is not only open, but a hunting ground for the IRGC Navy targeting American submarines; the second catch has been reeled in, this time the Mk 18 Mod 2 Kingfish; an advanced, autonomous AUV equipped with sonar and precision navigation, worth several million dollars. It's not just a hunt; it's a trophy of technology and intelligence,” the IRGC wrote. The claim was also carried by Iran’s state broadcaster IRIB, which reported that Iranian military authorities characterised the operation as targeting the “second subsurface [submarine] of the American terrorist army” operating in the strategic waterway. According to the IRGC statement cited by IRIB, the capture was carried out through a “coordinated and complex operation” involving Iranian military intelligence and electronic warfare capabilities. “With the help of God Almighty, the IRGC Navy soldiers, through a coordinated and complex operation with intelligence and electronic warfare, were able to trap an advanced UAV of the American terrorist army that was operating in the Strait of Hormuz for the purpose of espionage,” the statement said. The IRGC had earlier identified the captured platform as a REMUS 600, describing it as an intelligent, autonomous unmanned underwater vehicle allegedly conducting espionage missions inside the strait. “This submersible is a type of intelligent and advanced submersible called the Remus 600, which was captured by the IRGC Navy and is now in the hands of the force's specialists to retrieve its information,” the earlier statement said. IRIB reported that the captured system had been handed to specialist military technicians for analysis and recovery of stored data. The broadcaster did not provide independent evidence of the seizure in the material cited. The IRGC also reiterated its position on maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, a key global energy transit route. “The IRGC Navy firmly declares that the Strait of Hormuz is closed and we are taking strong and relentless action against dangerous movements and unauthorised traffic through the Strait of Hormuz,” the statement said.