Iran claimed to have captured a US drone and that three vessels hit mines in the Strait of Hormuz. The US denied that its drone was captured.
On Thursday, Iranian state television reported that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) used an “electronic warfare operation” to take control of a MQM-170 Outlaw drone near the Strait of Hormuz. The IRGC said it successfully landed the drone in Iranian territory.
The Outlaw is used as a targeting assistance and reconnaissance unmanned aircraft. Tim Hawkins, a spokesman for the Central Command, denied the IRGC claim. “In the past weeks and months, the IRGC has repeatedly lied out of desperation, and today is no different,” he said in an email.
Additionally, three tankers attempting to exit the Strait of Hormuz through unapproved routes hit mines and caught on fire. In October, Iran has stepped up its attacks on ships attempting to exit the waterway without receiving approval from Tehran.
Reuters reported earlier this month that two senior Iranian officials confirmed Tehran had adopted the new strategy. “The aim is to frustrate efforts by the United States and its allies to bring down global oil prices,” one of the officials explained.
“Just when they think they are getting close to the point where prices will fall, we will push them away from it. This is a game of chess,” the second official said. “Such vessels would be safe nowhere, even outside the Strait of Hormuz.”
The Strait of Hormuz has become a major issue in the war. Before the war, the Strait operated as an international shipping route. After the US and Israel attacked Iran, Tehran asserted control over shipping through the waterway and imposed new transit protocols.
Iran has attacked vessels attempting to use the waterway without Tehran’s permission. As a fifth of the global oil supply exits the Persian Gulf through the Strait, the US has escorted tankers through the waterway to keep oil prices from spiking.
