Iran claims capture of US Navy MK 18 Mod 2 Kingfish mine-hunting underwater drone in Strait of Hormuz

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps claimed that it captured a U.S. Navy Mk 18 Mod 2 Kingfish mine-countermeasures unmanned underwater vehicle in the Strait of Hormuz. Iranian accounts initially described the vehicle differently before identifying it as the REMUS-based Kingfish, which is designed to locate and classify underwater hazards. U.S. Central Command denied the claim and said American forces retained positive control of all operational unmanned assets. With no independently verified evidence resolving the competing statements, the reported capture should be treated as disputed rather than confirmed.