Overview
- U.S. Central Command confirmed that three Saronic Corsair unmanned surface vessels struck a docked Ghadir‑class midget submarine and an adjacent ship‑maintenance facility at Bandar Abbas on July 12.
- CENTCOM released an unclassified video on Monday showing the three Corsair USVs approaching a pier and detonating against port infrastructure, and the command said the action marked the first combat use of U.S. sea drones.
- The command framed the strikes as part of a wider wave of recent U.S. attacks intended to degrade Iran’s ability to attack commercial vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz.
- Iranian state bodies reported firing warning shots at commercial ships, the Persian Gulf Strait Authority said the strait was closed to transit, and state‑linked outlets reported casualties from concurrent U.S. strikes, raising immediate shipping and humanitarian concerns.
- The Corsair is a 24‑foot USV built by Texas‑based Saronic with roughly a 1,000‑pound payload and about 1,000 nautical mile range, and its use followed a June 8 noncombat rescue mission, underlining how quickly the platform moved from support roles to offensive operations and creating new risks for regional escalation and maritime transit.