The Iranian Navy has reportedly flown an unmanned surveillance drone over an American aircraft carrier in the Persian Gulf amid ongoing military drills in the waters south of the country.
According to a Friday report by Fars news agency, the drone managed to capture a video during the surveillance mission over the US aircraft carrier.
Meanwhile, a midget Ghadir-class submarine belonging to Iran’s Navy was also deployed close to the US aircraft carrier with a mission to gather intelligence and capture footage, the report says.
The Iranian submarine was able to take “clear” photographs of the aircraft carrier without catching the attention of the staff on board, the report added.
The Bahrain-based US Navy’s 5th Fleet which commands the operations of American warships in the Persian Gulf declined to comment on the incident.
The developments come as Iran’s Navy is conducting the third day of its annual military maneuvers, code-named Velayat 94, across a large swath of territorial waters and high seas in the Persian Gulf, the Strait of Hormuz and the Indian Ocean.
During the four-day exercises, Iranian marines simulate the interception of invaders, while various military vessels and submarines are being used.
On the first of the drills, a US Navy warship received a serious warning from several Iranian destroyers to keep away from the designated exercise zone near the Strait of Hormuz.
Fars news agency reported that the USS Monterey, a Ticonderoga-class cruiser, was sailing near the Strait of Hormuz where the Iranian forces were staging the main phase of Velayat 94.
The US warship, however, left the region immediately after receiving the warning from Iranian forces.