Iran's navy seized two American sea drones in the Red Sea before letting them go Friday as US warships neared, officials said, in the latest maritime incident involving the Navy's new drone fleet in the Mideast.
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Iranian state television aired footage it said came from the deck of the Iranian navy's Jamaran destroyer, where lifejacket-wearing sailors examined two Saildrone Explorers. They tossed one overboard as another warship could be seen in the distance.
Iran has no coastline along the Red Sea, a crucial international waterway lying between the Arabian Peninsula and northeastern Africa.
State TV said the Iranian navy found "several unmanned spying vessels abandoned in the international maritime routes" on Thursday.
"After two warnings to an American destroyer to prevent possible incidents, Jamaran seized the two vessels," state TV said. "After securing the international shipping waterway, the Naval Squadron No. 84 released the vessels in a safe area."
It added: "The US Navy was warned to avoid repeating similar incidents in future."
The US Navy's Mideast-based 5th Fleet identified the seized drones as Saildrone Explorers. Those drones are commercially available and used by a variety of clients, including scientists, to monitor open waters.
