US Central Command denies any naval drone was destroyed in Strait of Hormuz

WASHINGTON: The US Central Command (CENTCOM) on Friday denied Iran’s claim that a US unmanned vessel had been destroyed in the Strait of Hormuz.

In a statement on the social media site X, CENTCOM said all unmanned surface vessels of the US military deployed in the Middle East were accounted for. According to the statement, these include a fleet of advanced naval drones that is patrolling the Strait of Hormuz and supporting CENTCOM’s defensive cordon.

Earlier on Friday, the Iranian navy said in a statement issued through the state news agency IRNA that an “enemy unmanned vessel” operating east of the strait had been destroyed. The statement did not identify the vessel or say to whom it belonged.

The Iranian navy also said two oil tankers caught fire after hitting mines when they entered areas that Iran declares off-limits. According to the navy of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, it stopped two tankers that were trying to cross the strait by unauthorised routes.

The Strait of Hormuz is a key route for global energy supplies. Tension between Iran and the United States is rising over the issue of passage through it.