American forces strike Iranian drone carrier

U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) has said American forces struck an Iranian vessel described as a drone carrier during ongoing military operations in the region, leaving the ship ablaze.

In a statement posted on social media, the command said U.S. forces had targeted the vessel as part of a broader campaign against Iran’s naval capabilities. “U.S. forces aren’t holding back on the mission to sink the entire Iranian Navy,” the command wrote, adding that “an Iranian drone carrier, roughly the size of a WWII aircraft carrier, was struck and is now on fire.”

The vessel is believed to be one of Iran’s drone-carrier type ships used to launch unmanned aerial systems and support naval operations. These vessels are converted commercial ships equipped with flight decks designed to deploy reconnaissance and attack drones.

CENTCOM did not identify the ship involved in the strike. However, the command had previously reported striking an Iranian drone-carrier type vessel earlier in the campaign, it seems the latest statement may refer to further damage to the same ship rather than the destruction of a second carrier-type vessel.

The IRIS Shahid Bagheri is a converted commercial ship operated by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy. Commissioned last year, it has been presented by Tehran as a sea-based platform for unmanned systems. Rather than operating fast jets, the ship is configured to launch and recover  drones and helicopters, giving Iran a means of extending the reach of its unmanned aerial operations beyond its coastline.

Imagery previously released by Iranian state media showed a long, flat deck adapted for drone activity, alongside facilities to support command, control and maintenance functions.