Tehran: The Naval Forces of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) claimed to have intercepted and seized a second advanced Remus 600 autonomous unmanned underwater vehicle (UUV) belonging to the United States military in the strategic Strait of Hormuz.

According to an official statement carried by state broadcaster IRIB on Sunday, Iranian military authorities targeted what they characterised as the "second subsurface [submarine] of the American terrorist army" operating in the vital maritime choke point.

The IRGC stated that the vehicle was intercepted through a "coordinated and complex operation" involving Iranian military intelligence oversight and advanced electronic warfare capabilities.

"With the help of God Almighty, the IRGC Navy soldiers, through a coordinated and complex operation with intelligence and electronic warfare, were able to trap an advanced UAV of the American terrorist army that was operating in the Strait of Hormuz for the purpose of espionage," the statement read.

Iranian military officials identified the captured platform as a Remus 600—an intelligent, autonomous unmanned underwater vehicle—and accused the U.S. military of utilizing the vessel for reconnaissance missions inside the strait.

"This submersible is a type of intelligent and advanced submersible called the Remus 600, which was captured by the IRGC Navy and is now in the hands of the force's specialists to retrieve its information," the statement added. Specialists are currently analysing the captured hardware and attempting to recover stored data, state television reported.

Reiterating its uncompromising position on maritime traffic through the area, the IRGC Navy declared the Strait of Hormuz closed to unauthorized transit and warned of continued operations.

"The IRGC Navy firmly declares that the Strait of Hormuz is closed and we are taking strong and relentless action against dangerous movements and unauthorised traffic through the Strait of Hormuz," the statement asserted.

Tensions Escalate as US Rejects Ceasefire Proposal

The news of the interception comes amid escalating rhetoric from Iranian leadership following U.S. President Donald Trump's rejection of Tehran's proposed seven-day ceasefire plan.

Addressing a crowd at the airport after returning from the United Nations General Assembly in New York, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian emphasized that Tehran would not back down in its ongoing confrontation with the United States and Israel.

“We stand firm with strength, we are at the service of our people, we will stand until our last breath, and we promise that as long as we have life in our bodies, we will be honest servants to the people; you have put us to shame, I do not consider myself worthy of your presence, I am your servant,” Pezeshkian said.

Earlier, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and President Pezeshkian had presented a roadmap to end the hostilities during their visit to the UN gathering. Under the proposed arrangement, Washington would lift its naval blockade of Iranian ports, waive sanctions on oil sales, release roughly USD 12 billion in frozen Iranian assets, and implement a regional ceasefire covering Lebanon and Yemen. In exchange, Iran pledged to reopen the Strait of Hormuz on the sixth day and initiate formal negotiations regarding its nuclear program on the seventh day.

However, President Trump rejected the seven-day ceasefire proposal outright.

Speaking on Iranian state television, Brigadier General Abolfazl Shekarchi, Senior Spokesperson for the Iranian Armed Forces, warned Washington against asserting control over the strategic waterway, describing Iran as "the most experienced country in the world in asymmetric warfare."

“The Americans should not dream of interfering in the management of the Strait of Hormuz, and if they interfere, they will receive a slap from the Iranian Armed Forces; they must leave our region,” Shekarchi warned.

He added a direct threat to non-compliant maritime traffic: “Any ship that passes through the Strait of Hormuz outside the route designated by Iran will not have security.” (ANI)