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Iran removed the cameras from two US drones seized and later released in the Red Sea on Friday, according to a Wall Street Journal report.

An unnamed US official told the news outlet that the outlet on Friday that the drones were returned after briefly being seized without their cameras.

However, the officials added that it was unclear whether the Iranian forces had taken the cameras or if they had fallen off.

US officials have emphasised that several items of equipment on the drones, including their cameras and sensors, are widely available and do not contain classified information.

 said its vessels were taking photos of the surrounding environment and had been in the vicinity of the southern Red Sea for more than 200 days.

"At around 2 p.m. (local time) on Sept. 1, U.S. 5th Fleet detected the Iranian ship approaching both unmanned vessels and removing them from the water," the US Navy said in a statement.

Two destroyers operating nearby, the USS Nitze and USS Delbert D. Black, "remained on scene communicating with the Iranian warship to deescalate the situation," the statement added.

The drones were later released at 8am the next day.