DUBAI. Officials from the United Arab Emirates said that Iran’s navy had briefly seized the two drones, which were located in the Red Sea. They were released Friday after U.S. warships approached. This was the latest maritime incident in relation to the Navy’s drone fleet.
The Iranian state TV aired footage that it claimed was from the deck the Iranian navy’s Jamaran destroyer. There, lifejacket-wearing sailors examined the two Saildrone Explorers. As another warship was visible in the distance, they threw one of them overboard.
Iran has no coastline at the Red Sea. This is a vital international waterway that runs between northeastern Africa and the Arabian Peninsula.
State TV reported that the Iranian navy discovered “several unmanned surveillance vessels” in international maritime routes on Thursday.
” After two warnings to an American destroyer in order to avoid possible incidents, Jamaran took the two vessels,” state television reported. The Naval Squadron No. 84 released the vessels in a safe area.”
It added that the U.S Navy had been warned not to repeat similar events in future .”
The U.S. Navy’s Mideast-based 5th Fleet identified seized drones in question as Saildrone Explorers. These drones can be purchased commercially and are used by many clients including scientists to monitor open water.
” The unmanned surface craft were unarmed, taking photos of the environment and loitering within an area designated for patrolling at least four nautical miles away from nearest maritime traffic lanes,” said the 5th Fleet.
“The vessels posed no risk to naval traffic and had been operating in the general vicinity of the Southern Red Sea for more than 200 consecutive days without incident.”
The Navy’s guided-missile destroyers USS Nitze and USS Delbert D. Black responded to the seizure at 2 p.m. Thursday and each deployed MH-60 Sea Hawk helicopters, the 5th Fleet said. The drones were eventually released by Iran at 8 AM. Friday.
This is the second incident of its kind in recent times as the negotiations for Tehran’s nuclear agreement with the world powers remain in doubt.
The earlier incident, which began Monday night, involved Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard and not its regular navy. It took place in the Persian Gulf. Before releasing the Saildrone Explorer, it was towed by the Guard. Iran had criticised the U.S. Navy’s release of a Hollywood-style video about the incident. The same thing happened Friday with the Red Sea incident.
The 5th Fleet launched its unmanned Task Force 59 last year. The Navy uses drones to monitor surface vessels like the Sea Hawk, Sea Hunter, and small underwater drones which resemble torpedoes.
The 5th Fleet’s area of responsibility includes the crucial Strait of Hormuz, the narrow mouth of the Persian Gulf through which 20 percent of all oil passes. The Red Sea extends as far as Egypt’s Suez Canal. It is the main waterway to Egypt and leads to the Mediterranean.
The region has been the victim of a number of maritime assaults in recent years.
During Yemen’s long war, drone-laden bomb boats and mines placed adrift off Yemen by the Houthi rebels caused damage to vessels. Iranian forces have taken control of oil tanks near the Strait of Hormuz and the United Arab Emirates. Other vessels were also attacked, which the Navy attributes to Iran.
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