Scoop: U.S. attacked Iranian boats trying to seize Navy drone

The U.S. military destroyed two Iranian small boats Monday after the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps tried to steal a Navy drone patrolling the Strait of Hormuz, U.S. officials told Axios.

Why it matters: The unusual incident shows how efforts to restore normal shipping through the Strait of Hormuz continues direct confrontation with Iran.

• The U.S. military initially didn't disclose the strike, and Iranian media presented it as a drone strike on "fishing boats."

Driving the news: According to Iranian media, two fishing boats were struck Monday off the coast of the port city of Kargan and near Larak Island in Hormozgan province.

• Ahmad Nafisi, the province's deputy governor for security affairs, attributed the strike to the U.S. military.
• Nafisi said an unspecified number of fishermen were missing and that search-and-rescue operations were underway, according to Iran's semi-official Mehr News Agency.

Behind the scenes: A U.S. official said the IRGC used the boats to try to capture a naval drone that the U.S. military uses to patrol the Strait of Hormuz.

• After U.S. forces identified the attempt, an American drone fired two missiles at the boats, destroying them and killing most of those on board.

What they are saying: U.S. Central Command spokesperson Capt. Tim Hawkins confirmed the attempted seizure, saying "Iranian small boats recently attempted to take possession of a U.S. unmanned surface vessel, but they were unsuccessful after CENTCOM forcefully responded."

• "The surface drone remains under U.S. operational control," Hawkins said.

State of play: The incident took place as the U.S. attempts to protect increased commercial traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, where oil flows remain below prewar levels.

• A U.S. official said the U.S. military and Gulf countries have begun conducting daytime transits of tankers through the strait and not only night time as was the case in recent month.
• As fighting with the Houthis in the Red Sea escalates, Saudi Arabia has significantly increased the number of oil tankers it sends through the strait, a U.S. official said.
• U.S. forces have also expanded the mine-cleared parts of the strait's middle shipping lane.

By the numbers: An average of 40 ships now transit the strait daily under U.S. military guidance and protection.

• Roughly 14 million barrels of oil are exported through the waterway daily, a U.S. official said.
• Over the last week, several tankers carrying liquefied natural gas and liquefied petroleum gas have also transited the strait.