Sea drones strike Iranian port in combat first for US
By Claire Barrett
Jul 13, 2026, 01:07 PM
Video released by the Pentagon shows three Corsair attack drones hitting an Iranian naval base, in what the Pentagon called a first.
U.S. Central Command utilized three Corsair unmanned surface vessels to strike a submarine and ship maintenance facility at the Bandar Abbas naval base in Iran, marking the “first time American forces have employed sea drones in combat operations,” CENTCOM confirmed on X on Monday.
The latest round of strikes by the U.S. comes after it revoked a license on July 7 that allowed Iran to sell oil. U.S. President Donald Trump declared the ceasefire between the two nations — which began on April 8 — to be over, but ceded that Iran had agreed to continue to negotiate.
The U.S. military said it hit dozens of Iranian military targets on Sunday, which included the first-ever combat use of Corsair USVs to assist in degrading Iran’s ability to continue to attack commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.
Built by Saronic, the Corsair is a 24-foot USV that has a range of over 1,000 nautical miles and a payload capacity of 1,000 pounds while surging at 35 knots.
https://www.defensenews.com/news/your-military/2026/07/13/sea-drones-strike-iranian-port-in-combat-first-for-us-navy/
