US Navy Confirms First-Ever Corsair Drone Boat Strike on Iranian Sub
US military footage shows Corsair unmanned surface vessels struck an Iranian submarine and ship maintenance facility at Bandar Abbas — the drone boat's combat debut.
Developing story — this page will be updated as information becomes available.
The US military released footage Tuesday showing its first-ever combat use of Corsair unmanned surface vessels — suicide drone boats that struck an Iranian submarine and ship maintenance facility at the port of Bandar Abbas, according to the Times of Israel. The disclosure marks the operational combat debut of a US Navy unmanned surface weapon system.
What we know
Times of Israel reported that US military footage confirms Corsair unmanned surface vessels hit an Iranian submarine and a ship maintenance facility at Bandar Abbas, Iran’s largest naval base. The strike is described as the drone boat’s first-ever offensive combat use.
The Corsair action came roughly a month after a US drone boat was used to rescue a downed American aircrew in the Strait of Hormuz, per the same Times of Israel report — that earlier operation was a search-and-rescue mission, not a strike. Tuesday’s disclosure confirms the platform has now crossed from support role into direct kinetic use against a state adversary.
Bandar Abbas hosts the Iranian navy’s largest base and the country’s primary oil export terminals. US Central Command had earlier confirmed a third wave of overnight strikes hitting the port city in an official readout; the Corsair footage identifies which specific naval targets at that port were struck.
What we don’t know
The number of Corsair vessels used, their launch platform, whether the targeted Iranian submarine was destroyed or damaged, and the class of the submarine hit have not been disclosed. It is not clear whether the strike was conducted by US Navy personnel afloat or launched from a shore or air platform. The military has not stated whether additional Corsair strikes are planned. This is a developing story.
Context
The Corsair combat debut lands inside a broader escalation that has already seen three consecutive nights of US strikes on Iran, including Bushehr and Bandar Abbas, and Iranian missile strikes on UAE-flagged tankers in the Strait of Hormuz that killed one sailor. Oil markets are pricing the escalation, with Brent crude above $86.
Unmanned surface vessels have shaped naval combat in the Black Sea since 2022, when Ukrainian drone boats forced the Russian Black Sea Fleet out of forward positions. Tuesday’s disclosure is the first confirmed use of the concept by the US Navy against a state target, and the first against a submarine and shipyard rather than a surface warship.
What to watch
- Whether Iran publicly confirms the loss or damage of a submarine at Bandar Abbas in state media, and whether it names the class.
- Whether the Pentagon or CENTCOM releases additional Corsair footage or a formal statement identifying the launching unit and platform.
- Whether follow-on Corsair strikes hit other Iranian naval assets in the Persian Gulf or Strait of Hormuz over the next 24–48 hours.
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