CENTCOM: US Forces Struck Iranian Drone Carrier Shahid Bagheri in Opening Hours of Iran Campaign

Within hours of launching Operation Epic Fury on Iran, U.S. forces struck the Shahid Bagheri, Iran’s first dedicated drone carrier, according to the U.S. military.

U.S. Central Command made the announcement while address Iranian claims on social media, stating: “The Iranian regime’s false messaging machine continues to falsely claim that it has sunk a U.S. aircraft carrier. The TRUTH: The only carrier that has been hit is the Shahid Bagheri, an Iranian drone carrier. U.S. forces struck the ship within hours of launching Operation Epic Fury.”

Later, CENTCOM tweeted that it had sunk all 11 Iranian naval ships in the Gulf of Oman. “The Iranian regime has harassed and attacked international shipping in the Gulf of Oman for decades. Those days are over. Freedom of maritime navigation has underpinned American and global economic prosperity for more than 80 years. U.S. forces will continue to defend it,” it said.

The drone carrier began life as a commercial containership, Perarin, before being converted between 2022 and 2024. Operated by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy (IRGCN), the vessel was purpose-built as a sea-based drone platform capable of launching unmanned aerial vehicles and helicopters.

Iran added a large, angled flight deck roughly 180 meters long, giving the vessel the appearance of a small aircraft carrier. The platform was assessed to carry various UAVs, helicopters, and short- to medium-range air defense systems.

Two days ago, the Iranian regime had 11 ships in the Gulf of Oman, today they have ZERO. The Iranian regime has harassed and attacked international shipping in the Gulf of Oman for decades. Those days are over. Freedom of maritime navigation has underpinned American and global… pic.twitter.com/nzdkMVMqZC

— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) March 2, 2026

Named after IRGC commander Bahman Bagheri, who was killed during the Iran–Iraq War, the vessel was designed for extended endurance operations, potentially allowing Tehran to project drone capabilities beyond coastal waters.

While Shahid Bagheri participated in joint drills with China and Russia during the 2024 Maritime Security Belt exercises in the Gulf of Oman and Arabian Sea, there have been no confirmed public deployments far beyond the Gulf.

President Trump confirmed the sinking of nine Iranian naval vessels in a social media post on Sunday, declaring: “We are going after the rest – They will soon be floating at the bottom of the sea, also! In a different attack, we largely destroyed their Naval Headquarters.”

CENTCOM previously confirmed the sinking of an Iranian Jamaran-class corvette at a pier in Chah Bahar during the opening hours of the operation.

So far the U.S. strike on Shahid Bagheri or its status have not been independently confirmed.

The strike would mark one of the first high-profile naval engagements of U.S-Israeli strikes on Iran and Operation Epic Fury, a campaign that has already escalated tensions across the Persian Gulf and further destabilized commercial shipping transits through the Strait of Hormuz.

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