On September 8, 2026, Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) announced the capture of an American autonomous underwater drone, known as the Dive-LD, near the entrance of the Strait of Hormuz. The device, developed by the U.S. defense company Anduril Industries, was identified by Iranian state media and experts as a large autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) designed for extended underwater operations with minimal human oversight. The U.S. military's Middle East command, known as CentCom, responded by downplaying the incident, stating that the drone was an older model that had malfunctioned during a routine mission and had been left "adrift" before being recovered by Iranian forces. While analysts suggest that Iran is unlikely to gain a major military advantage from the captured drone, the incident is seen as a propaganda win for Tehran and a setback for Washington’s efforts to maintain a reputation for technological superiority. Both the U.S. military and Anduril have minimized the significance of the capture, with CentCom emphasizing that the drone did not carry sensitive data or classified equipment. Meanwhile, Iranian embassies have taken to social media to mock the U.S. for the loss, with one post from the embassy in Ghana humorously describing the recovery of the drone as akin to retrieving a plastic bottle from a fishing net. The Dive-LD is part of a new class of military drones designed to operate for several days with limited human involvement. The U.S. had previously expressed concern over the possibility of advanced drones being captured by Iran, as seen in 2011 when Iran seized the RQ-170 Sentinel stealth drone. At the time, then-President Barack Obama urged Iran to return the device, and Iran later claimed to have reverse-engineered it, leading to the development of its own drone models. Analysts suggest that Iran will likely attempt to study the hardware of the captured Dive-LD, though its software includes security measures that may complicate such efforts. The incident also highlights a divergence in statements between the U.S. Navy and Anduril. While Navy officials described the Dive-LD as an older model that malfunctioned, Anduril marketed the drone as one of the most reliable and versatile large AUVs available, capable of operating for up to 10 days in challenging conditions. The Dive-LD had also been used as a test platform for the development of Australia’s new large underwater drone, the Ghost Shark. Experts suggest that Iran has skillfully used the incident to portray the United States as technologically inept and to assert its influence over the strategically important Strait of Hormuz.