Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said it recovered an American underwater drone in the Strait of Hormuz, sharing photos and claims on public channels.
Images released by the IRGC closely match the Anduril Dive-LD design, according to independent analyst H I Sutton, who compared small hull features and fittings.
The Dive-LD is described in available reporting as a large autonomous underwater vehicle about 5.8 metres long, 1.2 metres in diameter and weighing roughly three tons. Sutton said the hull details, flood holes and a short transparent forward mast align with the Anduril design.
The IRGC statement and the analyst assessment did not state which organisation operated the drone. Sutton reported that the Dive-LD may be used for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance or for mine countermeasures, and that it could conceivably carry a range of payloads.
Sutton also noted the Dive-LD is more sophisticated than local Iranian designs and is known to be in service with U.S. unmanned undersea units, specifically Unmanned Undersea Vehicle Group 1 and Undersea Vehicle Squadron 3, as reported in the analysis.
Iranian authorities have not provided independent verification beyond the public images. Sutton published an update saying fresh photos further supported his identification.
Domestic Context And Wider Implications
Separately, Iranian media outlets and citizen messages reported heavy security deployments across multiple cities after the government raised one fuel price tier. Iran International collected accounts describing police, special forces and Basij at petrol stations in Tehran, Mashhad, Shiraz, Karaj and other cities.
The government doubled the price for drivers buying fuel outside their monthly subsidised quota, raising the tier from 50,000 to 100,000 rials per litre, Iran International reported. Monthly subsidised allocations remained unchanged and the state kept lower priced quotas for defined amounts.
First Vice President Mohammad Reza Aref defended the increase, saying imported gasoline costs exceed the new price and would be gradually sold nearer to its cost, according to Iran International reporting.
Iran International also noted scrutiny of official cost figures. The outlet examined refinery financial statements and said operating refinery costs, excluding crude, were far lower than government estimates. Economist Mousa Ghaninejad estimated domestic consumption and warned about smuggling distortions in fuel statistics, as reported in the same coverage.
Residents and respondents told Iran International they feared knock-on price rises for food and transport. The report recalled that a sudden petrol price rise in November 2019 sparked nationwide protests and a subsequent crackdown that Reuters tallied as killing around 1,500 people.
Analysts who viewed the drone images said access to a Dive-LD could help Iran develop its undersea autonomous capabilities or lead to technology sharing with partners, according to H I Sutton. Iranian authorities did not comment on any technical exploitation or transfer plans in the material released.
