The United States Armed Forces used maritime drones for the first time in a combat operation to strike an Iranian naval facility dedicated to the maintenance of submarines and military vessels, in a new episode of the escalating conflict with Tehran. The attack was confirmed on Monday by the United States Central Command (CENTCOM), which said the offensive aimed to affect Iran’s operational capacity over one of the world’s most important sea routes.
According to the U.S. military command, the operation was carried out on Sunday against a complex located at the Bandar Abbas Naval Base on Iran’s southern coast. Three unmanned surface vessels of the Corsair model, designed for direct-impact missions, were used in the attack.
In a statement released through its official channels, CENTCOM said the action set a precedent for the U.S. Armed Forces.
“Yesterday, using multiple one-way attack surface drones, CENTCOM forces successfully struck a submarine and ship maintenance facility in Iran,” the command said.
The command added that “three unmanned Corsair surface vessels struck the port at the Bandar Abbas Naval Base,” an operation that, it emphasized, “represents the first time U.S. forces have employed maritime drones in combat operations.”
The statement was accompanied by a video of the strike, posted on the social platform X, which shows the unmanned vessels approaching the target before explosions were seen at the military port.
According to the U.S. Army’s initial assessment, the attack sought to limit Iran’s capacity to continue conducting operations against international navigation.
“The strikes degraded Iran’s ability to continue attacking commercial maritime traffic,” CENTCOM said.
The use of surface drones introduces a new technological component to the U.S. military campaign. Unlike unmanned aerial vehicles, these platforms travel across the water autonomously until they reach their assigned target, where they detonate the explosive payload they carry.
The strike occurred amid an increase in military operations between Washington and Tehran. Over the weekend, U.S. forces reported carrying out attacks against approximately 140 Iranian military targets using combat aircraft, drones, and naval units equipped with precision munitions.
The offensive also comes in the context of rising tensions around the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic corridor for global energy trade that connects the Persian Gulf with the Indian Ocean and through which, before the conflict, about one-fifth of the world’s traded oil passed.
Hours after CENTCOM confirmed the use of the maritime drones, President Donald Trump announced the reinstatement of a naval blockade against Iran. The president also said that the United States would charge a 20% fee for providing protection to ships crossing the Strait of Hormuz, a measure presented by the White House as part of the new security scheme for commercial navigation in the area.
The current military escalation intensified after the collapse of the ceasefire agreement signed on June 17 between Washington and Tehran. According to the U.S. administration, the decision responded to the continuation of Iranian attacks against vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz.
The United States maintains that the recent military operations are intended to respond to the Islamic Republic’s actions against international maritime traffic and to reduce the Iranian forces’ ability to threaten that commercial route.
In recent days, the conflict has also spread to other countries in the region. Iran launched attacks against Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, Jordan, Oman, and the United Arab Emirates— all U.S. allies that host American military facilities—expanding the geographic scope of a confrontation that continues to raise tensions in the Middle East.