Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps tried to capture a US unmanned vessel, but a US Navy patrol ship and helicopter stopped them

• Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps tried to capture a US unmanned vessel in the Persian Gulf, according to the US Navy.
• The US Navy dispatched a ship and helicopter and stopped the IRGC, the military said.

The US Navy said on Tuesday that it successfully stopped Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) from trying to capture one of its unmanned surface vessels in the Persian Gulf.

US Naval Forces Central Command said in a statement that elements of US 5th Fleet were sailing through international waters around 11 p.m. local time on Monday night when it noticed the IRGC support ship Shahid Baziar towing the Saildrone Explorer "in an attempt to detain it."

The command released the following video from Monday's incident.

US Navy coastal patrol ship USS Thunderbolt was in the area and responded right away to the incident, the Navy said, and an MH-60S Sea Hawk helicopter was also sent out from a base in nearby Bahrain.

Once the US Navy responded, it said, the IRGC ship disconnected the line it was using to tow the Saildrone Explorer and left the area a few hours later.

The Saildrone Explorer is a commercially-available unmanned surface vessel equipped with radars, cameras, and sensors for collecting data.

The IRGC's "actions were flagrant, unwarranted, and inconsistent with the behavior of a professional maritime force," Vice Adm. Brad Cooper, commander of US Naval Forces Central Command, US 5th Fleet and Combined Maritime Forces, said in a statement.

In a Tuesday statement, US Central Command Gen. Michael Kurilla said the "professionalism and competence of the crew of the USS Thunderbolt prevented Iran from this illegal action."

"The incident once again demonstrates Iran's continued destabilizing, illegal, and unprofessional activity in the Middle East," he added.

The US Navy and the Coast Guard have both had their share of run-ins with the IRGC. IRGC fast-attack boats have come close to US vessels in the past, prompting the military to respond with warning shots, radio warnings, and other measures.

Monday night's incident in the Persian Gulf comes as tensions are running high between the US troops and Iran-backed militias in Syria. Both sides have traded fire lately.