TEHRAN – Iran said on Saturday its navy released two US surface drones hours after seizing them in the Red Sea.
According to Iran’s state television, this is the second such incident this week and the unmanned vessels were meant to jeopardise Iran’s maritime safety.
“The [Iranian navy] frigate Jamaran seized the two vessels on Thursday to prevent any possible accident after issuing warnings to the US fleet. After international shipping lanes were secured, the two vessels were released in a safe area,” the state TV reported on Friday.
Footage appeared to show more than a dozen Iranian navy personnel pushing two drones into the sea from the deck of their vessel – the latest maritime incident involving the United States Navy’s new drone fleet in the Middle East as negotiations over Tehran’s nuclear deal with the world powers hang in the balance.
The state TV said an Iranian naval flotilla found “several unmanned spying vessels abandoned in the international maritime routes” and “after warning an American destroyer twice, seized the two drone vessels to prevent possible accidents”.
Aired footage purporting to come from the deck of the Jamaran destroyer showed sailors examining what appeared to be two Saildrone Explorers. They tossed one overboard as another warship could be seen in the distance.
“After securing the international shipping waterway, the Naval Squadron number 84 released the vessels in a safe area,” the state TV said.
Timothy Hawkins, a spokesman for the US Navy’s Middle East-based 5th Fleet, acknowledged the incident on Friday but, but declined to elaborate.
