Two American military unmanned research vessels were briefly taken over by an Iranian naval flotilla in the Red Sea before being released, according to Iranian official television on Friday.
While on a counterterrorism mission in the Red Sea on Thursday, the Iranian navy’s “Jamaran warship spotted three American military unmanned research vessels on the international maritime route,” according to state TV. In order to avert potential mishaps, the flotilla “seized the two drone vessels after twice alerting an American destroyer,” it was noted.

The official television continued, presenting footage that appeared to show the two US vessels being released by Iranian soldiers on board a ship, “After safeguarding the passage of shipping, the flotilla released the two vessels in a secure place.”

The US Navy said that its ships had been in the neighbourhood of the southern Red Sea for further than 200 days and were photographing the surroundings.

The USS Nitze and USS Delbert D. Black, two adjacent destroyers, “remained on scene negotiating with the Iranian warship to deescalate the situation,” the statement continued.

According to the statement, the US Navy ships were freed the following morning about 8 am.

The Pentagon reported on Tuesday that an Iranian ship had earlier taken an American military drone vessel in the Gulf, but had later released it after a US Navy patrol boat and helicopter were sent to the area.

A service ship from Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy, the Shahid Baziar, was reportedly seen towing the seven-meter-long (23-foot-long), unmanned surface vessel (USV), Saildrone Explorer, late on Monday, according to the US Central Command’s 5th Fleet.

The USS Thunderbolt coastal surveillance ship and an MH-60S Sea Hawk helicopter were then dispatched by US Marines.

The IRGCN vessel “as a result disconnected the towing line to the USV and departed the region approximately four hours later,” according to the 5th Fleet, without additional incident.

The same flotilla, according to a separate statement from Iran’s Navy on Thursday, prevented a pirate attack on an Iranian merchant ship in the region.

According to a statement from the navy, the Iranian state news agency IRNA said that a suspicious boat with 12 armed individuals on board approached the Iranian merchant ship in the Bab al-Mandab strait on Thursday.

The same flotilla, according to a senior Iranian navy commander on August 10, prevented a nocturnal attack on another Iranian-owned vessel.

The flotilla was sent to the area and engaged the invading boats in fire after receiving a support request from an Iranian ship in the Red Sea, according to Rear Admiral Mustafa Tajeddini at the time.

Following a spate of attacks by pirates operating out of Somalia between 2000 and 2011, Iran increased its naval presence in the Gulf of Aden, joining other nations reliant on the Red Sea and Suez Canal commerce lanes.

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