TEHRAN – The Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Nay has detained and then released a U.S. unmanned surface vessel (USV) in the Persian Gulf, according to Nour News.

The news website, which is linked to Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, said the IRGC Navy “controlled and towed” an American USV which had lost navigation communications in the Persian Gulf. 

Nour News said the detention was carried out with the purpose of ensuring security of shipping routes and preventing a possible accident.

The USV was released after a U.S. frigate came over and was educated on security issues and safe navigation. 

According to Nour News, over the past weeks, a lot of American USVs have been dispatched from Bahrain to the international waters in contravention of the protocols regulating the usage of remote control USVs on the high seas. 

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. 

An informed military source told Nour News that the illegitimate presence of US military forces in the Persian Gulf had always caused insecurity, Press TV reported.

“This trend, recently [reinforced] by the usage of unmanned vessels, has created new problems for safe shipping in the region,” the source said.

“As in the past, we will not be inactive against measures that cause insecurity in the region and we will continue our legal duties in the framework of our inherent missions of protecting and securing shipping routes to prevent any insecurity and instability,” the unnamed source added.