Tehran reported a sharp escalation in the Strait of Hormuz, alleging that US forces carried out missile strikes on five Iranian oil tankers, causing significant damage.
The latest flare-up comes amid a standoff between Iran and the United States that has continued since February, with disagreements cited over the nuclear issue, control of the Strait of Hormuz and other disputes.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy said it had earlier attacked a US warship near the strait’s entrance. It also claimed to have shot down a US MQ-9 Reaper surveillance drone in the area.
In response, Iran said the US launched the missile attacks on the five tankers. Hours later, Tehran claimed it had captured an advanced US submarine identified as “Dive-LT.”
The United States, however, said the submarine had suffered a technical malfunction and that it did not contain any secret information.
