The incident comes as the US-Iran conflict is escalating again around the Strait of Hormuz, with attacks on military assets and shipping threatening an already severely disrupted global energy route.
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Iran-US Tensions · Strait of Hormuz
Iran claims capture, US says malfunction — what happened to the Dive-LD?
Tehran says its navy seized an advanced US underwater drone. Washington says it had already broken down. Here’s what both sides are saying.
What is the Dive-LD?
An autonomous underwater vehicle built by US defence firm Anduril, delivered to the US Navy’s Unmanned Undersea Vehicle Squadron 1 in April 2025.
Dive-LD
Autonomous underwater vehicle · Anduril Industries
- Length19 ft / 5.8 m
- Weight~3 tons
- EnduranceUp to 10 days
- Maximum advertised depth6,000 m
- Unit cost~$2.5 million
Two accounts of what happened
Strait of Hormuz → Iran (per Iran’s account)
Iran says
- “Captured” at the entrance to the Strait of Hormuz
- Seized in a “complex intelligence and operational mission”
- IRGC calls it one of the US military’s most advanced unmanned submarines
US says
- Drone malfunctioned more than a day earlier — “dead in the water”
- Describes it as an older, defective model
- Carried no classified sonar/radar equipment and collected no sensitive data
Neither account has been independently verified. Iran’s claim is based on state media reports; the US response comes from a named Central Command spokesperson. Anduril has confirmed the loss of a vessel.
Why an underwater drone matters in Hormuz
The Dive-LD’s advertised capabilities explain why either side would care about one going missing:
Mine detection and countermeasures
Intelligence gathering
Monitoring undersea cables and pipelines
Autonomous surveillance without risking crew
Source: Reuters, DefenseScoop (citing US Central Command spokesperson Capt. Tim Hawkins), Iranian state media (IRIB/Tasnim), Naval News. Sept 8-9, 2026. This is a developing, disputed story.
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On Wednesday, Iran said it had attacked 10 ships near the Strait of Hormuz, after the US destroyed five Iranian oil tankers. It was reportedly the biggest wave of tit-for-tat attacks on shipping by the two sides since the six-month-old war began.
The latest attacks pushed Brent crude above $100 a barrel for the first time since July, while preliminary data showed only six ships with transponders had crossed the strait in the preceding 24 hours.