According to the IRGC statement, its naval units intercepted and targeted the US military speedboat drone as it approached designated Iranian-controlled waters. The elite force asserted that it maintains continuous surveillance over all regional adversary movements and remains prepared to respond decisively to any unauthorized entry. Emphasising Tehran’s operational authority over the strategic waterway, the IRGC declared that aggressive actions by American forces would meet unyielding resistance, adding that Washington must cease its regional operations and withdraw its presence entirely.

The targeted US craft forms part of a broader deployment of autonomous maritime tech by the United States. Washington fielded these unmanned speedboats in Middle Eastern waters on 26 March amidst rising tensions with Tehran. Designed by the Maryland-based firm Global Autonomous Reconnaissance Craft, the high-tech vessels are dual-purpose assets capable of long-range surveillance as well as loitering kamikaze strikes—detonating upon impact to destroy high-value targets. While tested in prior military exercises, their deployment marks the first active operational use of such autonomous speedboats in an ongoing regional crisis.

This latest engagement follows earlier claims by the IRGC regarding strikes on major US naval assets in the region. The Iranian military previously announced it had launched ballistic missiles at a US aircraft carrier and a guided-missile destroyer. Reports published by Iran’s official news agency, IRNA, cited the IRGC as claiming that both warships suffered operational damage and were forced to withdraw after attempting to pursue Iranian vessels as part of a maritime blockade. The IRGC maintained that acknowledgment of the incident by US Central Command (CENTCOM) effectively confirmed the impact and success of their missile operations in the region.