SHibbir Ahmed, WASHINGTON DC — Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) says it has captured a U.S. unmanned underwater vehicle near the entrance to the Strait of Hormuz, in the latest development in the escalating confrontation between Tehran and Washington.

Iranian state media identified the vessel as a Dive-LD, a large autonomous underwater vehicle manufactured by California-based defense company Anduril. The approximately 19-foot (5.8-meter) unmanned submersible is designed for missions including seabed mapping, mine detection, intelligence gathering and inspection of underwater infrastructure. The IRGC described the operation as a complex intelligence and military mission and claimed that Iranian forces had “trapped” one of the most advanced unmanned submarines operated by the United States.

However, the U.S. military gave a significantly different account of the incident. A Pentagon spokesperson acknowledged that a U.S. underwater drone had been lost, but said the vehicle had malfunctioned more than a day earlier while surveying regional waters in support of ongoing operations. According to the Pentagon, the drone was an older model and did not carry classified sonar or radar equipment or collect sensitive data.

Anduril also confirmed the loss of one of its underwater vehicles and emphasized that the Dive-LD was designed to operate in dangerous environments where losing the vehicle was considered a possibility.

Reuters said it could not independently verify Iran’s claim that it had captured the vehicle through a deliberate intelligence operation. The Dive-LD can reportedly operate for up to 10 days and is designed to reach depths of approximately 6,000 meters (19,700 feet). The system is part of the U.S. military’s growing use of autonomous underwater and surface vessels for surveillance, mine detection and other missions without putting American personnel directly at risk.

The incident comes as tensions around the Strait of Hormuz continue to rise. Commercial shipping through the strategic waterway has fallen sharply amid the ongoing U.S.-Iran confrontation, while oil prices have climbed above $100 a barrel amid fears of further disruption to global energy supplies.

TEHRAN — Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said Wednesday that it launched a missile attack against a U.S.-linked military base in Jordan, escalating tensions after American forces destroyed five Iranian oil tankers. The latest exchange marks another sharp escalation in the six-month-old U.S.-Iran war, with the conflict increasingly threatening regional security and global energy supplies.

Iran said its missile strike targeted the Al-Azraq air base in Jordan, which hosts U.S. military assets. Iranian state media reported that the operation damaged maintenance and repair facilities, aircraft deployment areas and shelters. Those damage claims could not immediately be independently verified. Jordan’s military said it intercepted 18 ballistic missiles launched from Iran toward the kingdom. No casualties were immediately reported.

The Iranian attack came after U.S. forces destroyed five Iranian oil tankers on Tuesday. The U.S. military said the crews were ordered to abandon the vessels before they were struck. The operation followed an Iranian attack targeting a U.S. Navy warship. Iranian officials had previously warned that American military bases in the region would be targeted if Washington attacked Iranian oil tankers.

Iran has also threatened to target oil tankers operating near U.S.-allied Kuwait and Bahrain. The threats have heightened fears of further disruption to commercial shipping across the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz.

The strategic waterway has become a major flashpoint in the conflict. Shipping through the Strait of Hormuz has fallen sharply, raising concerns about global oil and gas supplies. Reuters reported Wednesday that only six commodity vessels transited the strait on Tuesday, well below the recent average.

The escalation has also pushed oil prices higher. Brent crude approached $100 a barrel on Wednesday, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude traded above $94 a barrel as markets assessed the risk of further supply disruptions.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has warned that Washington will continue responding to Iranian attacks. The latest U.S. strikes on Iranian tankers were described by American officials as retaliation for attacks on U.S. naval forces.

Iranian state media also claimed that the Revolutionary Guard had attacked two U.S. destroyers with ballistic missiles. The claim had not been independently confirmed by the U.S. military and should be treated as an Iranian claim.

The latest confrontation comes as both sides remain locked in a wider struggle over control of the Strait of Hormuz, a vital route for global energy shipments. With Iran threatening further attacks on shipping and U.S. forces continuing operations against Iranian assets, concerns are growing that the conflict could expand further across the Middle East and place additional pressure on global energy markets.