US military says sea drones struck Iranian port

The United States used one-way attack sea drones in combat for the first time to strike the Iranian port of Bandar Abbas, the US military said.

US Central Command said on X that three US Corsair drones targeted a submarine and ship maintenance facility at the port on Sunday. The command said the operation marked the first time American forces had used sea drones in combat operations.

CENTCOM said the strikes degraded Iran’s ability to continue attacking commercial shipping. AFP reported that the command’s post included video showing sea drones exploding near two piers, starting fires and sending smoke into the air over the port.

AFP said the strikes showed the growing role of drones in US combat operations. Last month, the US military used a Corsair drone to help rescue two US Army aviators after their Apache attack helicopter was shot down by Iran.

The Corsair is made by Texas-based Saronic Technologies. The company says the 24-foot, diesel-powered autonomous surface vessel can be launched at sea, allowing larger ships to deploy and retrieve it without returning to port.