The L3 Harris Arabian Fox MAST-13, a 13-meter (41-foot) speedboat equipped with sensors and cameras, successfully passed through the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial waterway connecting the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Oman. The drone's journey was monitored by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, as reported by the Associated Press and local US media outlets. However, according to Navy spokesman Cmdr. Timothy Hawkins, the trip occurred without any incident.
Accompanying the MAST-13 were two US Coast Guard cutters, namely the USCGC Charles Moulthrope and USCGC John Scheuerman. The narrowest point of the strait is only 33 kilometers (21 miles) wide, and about a fifth of the world's traded oil passes through it.
Observing the unmanned surface vessel's passage through the strait, Hawkins confirmed that the Iranians did so in compliance with international law. He added that at least one Houdong-class fast-attack vessel operated by Iran's Revolutionary Guard, as well as an Iranian drone, monitored the MAST-13 drone.
The Persian Gulf's security is under the purview of the IRGC naval forces, while the Iranian army's naval forces are responsible for safeguarding Iran's interests in the Sea of Oman and elsewhere. Despite tensions in the region, the safe passage of the MAST-13 through the strait bodes well for maintaining international law and peaceful cooperation.
