Iran has claimed that its forces captured a US unmanned underwater vehicle near the entrance of the Strait of Hormuz, releasing a video that it said showed the seized submarine drone.

The Iranian navy, in a statement carried by Iranian state media, identified the vehicle as a Dive-LD and described it as one of the US military’s advanced unmanned underwater systems. The Revolutionary Guards said the vehicle was captured during what it described as a complex intelligence operation.

However, the US military has not explicitly confirmed that the vehicle displayed by Iran was the same underwater drone that malfunctioned earlier.

US says underwater drone malfunctioned

Following Iran’s claim, the US military said one of its underwater drones had malfunctioned more than a day earlier while conducting a survey of regional waters.

A Pentagon spokesperson said the defective drone was an older model and did not collect sensitive data or carry classified sonar or radar equipment.

The US statement did not directly say whether the malfunctioning drone was the one Iran claimed to have captured.

What is the Dive-LD?

The Dive-LD is an autonomous underwater vehicle developed by California-based defence company Anduril.

According to information cited in the report, the unmanned vehicle can operate for up to 10 days without returning to its base and is designed to reach depths of up to 6,000 metres, or around 19,700 feet.

The system can be used for underwater missions including seabed mapping, mine countermeasures, intelligence gathering and inspection of underwater infrastructure. Individual Dive-LD units have been reported to cost about $2.5 million.

Iran also claims US drone was shot down

Separately, Iran’s Revolutionary Guards claimed that its air-defence systems had shot down an MQ-9 Reaper drone over the Strait of Hormuz.

The claim came amid heightened military tensions between Washington and Tehran, with the strategic waterway remaining a major focus of the confrontation.

US says five Iranian oil tankers destroyed

The submarine-drone claim came after the US Central Command said its forces had destroyed five Iranian crude oil tankers.

According to the US military, the strikes followed two Iranian attempts to target a US warship with ballistic missiles over a two-day period.

The US Treasury Department has also announced sanctions targeting 27 Iranian airlines, accusing them of supporting activities of the Iranian regime and facilitating the movement of weapons and personnel.

Iran vows to continue resistance

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said Tehran would continue its resistance until what he called the aggressors were brought to “complete regret”.

He also reiterated Iran’s stated opposition to war while saying the country would continue defending itself against what it considers aggression.

The latest developments add to tensions between the US and Iran, with both sides issuing competing claims about military operations in and around the strategically important Strait of Hormuz.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has called for greater global expansion of the Unified Payments Interface (UPI), highlighting India’s digital payments infrastructure and its potential to connect people and businesses across borders.

Speaking at the Fintech Fest, PM Modi emphasised the role of technology and financial innovation in transforming India’s payments ecosystem. He said India’s experience with digital payments offers an opportunity to take the country’s homegrown payment infrastructure to a wider international audience.

PM Modi highlights India’s digital payments journey

The Prime Minister pointed to the rapid growth of digital payments in India and the way UPI has become an important part of everyday transactions.

He stressed that India’s fintech ecosystem has demonstrated how technology can make financial services more accessible and convenient for people.

UPI has emerged as one of India’s key digital public infrastructure platforms, allowing users to make instant bank-to-bank payments through participating applications.

Push for wider international adoption of UPI

PM Modi also underlined the importance of taking India’s digital payment capabilities beyond the domestic market.

The push for wider UPI adoption comes as India has been working to establish digital payment linkages with other countries, enabling easier cross-border transactions.

Such international expansion can support Indian travellers, businesses and consumers by making digital payments more convenient in participating countries.

India’s fintech ecosystem in focus

The Prime Minister’s remarks came as the fintech sector continues to play a major role in India’s digital transformation.

India’s experience with UPI has attracted international attention because of the scale at which real-time digital payments are being used.

At the event, the broader fintech ecosystem and the potential of technology to improve access to financial services were also central to discussions.

Why UPI’s global expansion matters

A wider international footprint for UPI could strengthen India’s digital payments ecosystem while making cross-border transactions simpler in countries where UPI-linked systems are available.

The expansion also reflects India’s broader effort to promote its digital public infrastructure and fintech capabilities internationally.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday took an apparent swipe at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi while addressing a gathering of young people in Gujarat’s Vadodara.

Speaking at the “NaMo for Viksit Bharat” event, PM Modi cautioned the youth against what he described as misleading claims and referred to “Jhooth Ki Goonj” in an apparent reference to Rahul Gandhi and the Congress’s “Chhatron Ki Goonj” campaign.

“People will try to mislead you through Jhooth Ki Goonj, but youth will stand with truth,” PM Modi said.

The Prime Minister was in Vadodara to announce new projects and inaugurate completed infrastructure works. He said development projects worth more than Rs. 35,000 crore would provide further momentum to the journey towards a Viksit Bharat.

PM Modi’s dig at Rahul Gandhi

PM Modi’s remarks came in the context of the political debate surrounding the Congress’s “Chhatron Ki Goonj” campaign.

He appeared to refer to a fact-check of Rahul Gandhi’s speeches by a satirical political website. According to the report, the website examined 40 statements made by Rahul Gandhi at four events associated with the campaign and described 29 as “false” and 11 as “misleading”.

The Prime Minister urged young people to distinguish between what he portrayed as misleading political claims and what he called the truth.

Double-stack freight train highlighted

During his address, PM Modi also highlighted the operation of a double-stack container freight train between JNPT in Mumbai and Vadodara.

He said the single journey carried a volume of cargo equivalent to more than 250 trucks. He also used the example to take a humorous swipe at critics concerned about the impact of infrastructure changes on truck operators.

PM Modi also referred to the Dedicated Freight Corridor and said that before 2014, not even 1 km of the project had been completed during the previous government’s seven to eight years.

Free online coaching initiative for students

The Prime Minister also spoke about the government’s move towards providing free online coaching by top teachers to students preparing for competitive examinations.

He said the initiative was aimed at reducing the financial burden of coaching on poor and middle-class families.

PM Modi said education is changing alongside the wider transformation in the world, with skills becoming increasingly important alongside formal degrees.

The Vadodara event combined announcements on infrastructure and education with political remarks directed at the Opposition.