TEHRAN – In what appeared to be a prelude to future tensions on the high seas, Iran’s armed forces have encountered a new type of U.S. vessels which added another layer to the already deepening maritime tensions in the West Asia region.

In late August, the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Navy detained and towed a U.S. vessel that seemed new to the maritime theater in the Persian Gulf. The dhow-shaped vessel, known as Saildrone, was controlled and towed by the IRGC Navy with the purpose of ensuring the security of shipping routes and preventing a possible accident, according to Nour News, a website linked to Iran’s Supreme National Security Council. 

Saildrone is an unmanned surface vessel (USV) developed by the United States to increase maritime surveillance in the troubled waters of the Persian Gulf and the Sea of Oman. 

The U.S. 5th Fleet in Bahrain alleged in a statement that it prevented Iran from “capturing” its USV. 

“The U.S. Navy prevented a support ship from Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy (IRGCN) from capturing an unmanned surface vessel operated by the U.S. 5th Fleet in” the Persian Gulf, the U.S. 5th Fleet said in a statement.

A few days later, another encounter took place involving the American-operated USVs, this time in the Red Sea. On September 2, the Iranian Army Navy announced that it detained and then released two USVs in the Red Sea. Footage of the incident released by Iran’s state TV showed that the Red Sea USVs were of the same type detained by the IRGC Navy in the Persian Gulf, ringing alarm bells about further encounters in the future. 

Commenting on the Persian Gulf and the Red Sea incidents, Nour News said the U.S. USVs endangered commercial maritime security in the region. 

“In continuation of the tension-causing behavior of the United States in West Asia, especially in the Persian Gulf, this country has sent unmanned reconnaissance vessels to international waters in the region in recent weeks,” it said. 

Nour News added, “This provocative move, which is carried out with the aim of spying and gathering information, has practically jeopardized the security of navigation and has disrupted the passage of commercial ships.”

General Abdolrahim Mousavi, commander of the Iranian Army, said the U.S. released their USVs in international waters without paying attention to the dangers that they might pose to the free passage of ships. 

General Mohammad Bagheri, chief of Iran’s armed forces, said the U.S. is trying to make up for its drawdown of forces in the region by dispatching Saildrones. 

“Enemies are trying to compensate for the reduction of forces in the Middle East [West Asia] region by creating new units in different ways,” he said. “Reports indicate that they endanger the security of navigation by launching and sending small unmanned surveillance units.”

General Bagheri also warned that Iran will not tolerate the presence of U.S. USVs. 
“Through international institutions and filing a complaint with the International Maritime Organization, we will announce that our vessels will not tolerate such units on their route, and if it happens, they will be dealt with.”

Nour News said General Bagheri’s warning indicates that Iran is serious about countering U.S. moves endangering maritime security.