[FOX] Iran is deliberately targeting U.S. naval drones in the Strait of Hormuz to gather intelligence on American surveillance capabilities and learn how to evade U.S. defenses, drone experts warned Tuesday.
Tehran’s strategy is coordinated, they said, and involves exposing critical insights into U.S. Navy theater operations in the world’s most vulnerable maritime choke point even when classified data is uncompromised.
The warning came as tensions escalated in the Gulf region Sept. 14 after the U.S. military destroyed two Iranian small boats amid an attempted seizure by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) of an American unmanned surface vessel (USV) patrolling the area, according to reports.
Iranian state media initially said the incident was a U.S. strike on civilian fishing vessels while its officials reported search-and-rescue operations off the coast of Kargan and near Larak Island, claiming local fishermen were missing.
U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) spokesperson Capt. Tim Hawkins confirmed the attempted seizure on Tuesday.
"Iranian small boats recently attempted to take possession of a U.S. unmanned surface vessel, but they were unsuccessful after CENTCOM forcefully responded," Hawkins said.
"The surface drone remains under U.S. operational control."
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