Watch: How US used sea drones 1st time to strike Iran submarine, ship maintenance facility

The United States has, for the first time, used unmanned surface vessels in combat, with US Central Command (CENTCOM) saying three Corsair sea drones struck a submarine and ship maintenance facility at Iran's Bandar Abbas Naval Base.

The attack, carried out on Sunday night, marked the first operational use of American sea drones in a military strike. CENTCOM also released a video of the operation, showing the unmanned vessels striking the Iranian naval facility."Yesterday, using multiple one-way attack surface drones, CENTCOM forces successfully struck a submarine and ship maintenance facility in Iran. Three Corsair unmanned surface vessels hit the port at Bandar Abbas Naval Base, marking the first time American forces have employed sea drones in combat operations.

Last night’s strikes degraded Iran’s ability to continue attacking commercial shipping," it said in a post on X.

According to CENTCOM, multiple one-way attack surface drones were deployed during the operation. The three unmanned vessels hit the port facility at Bandar Abbas, a key Iranian naval base on the Strait of Hormuz, targeting infrastructure used for submarine and naval vessel maintenance. The US military said the strikes were aimed at degrading Iran's ability to continue attacking commercial shipping in the region.

Moreover, the US military said its strikes on Monday targeted dozens of Iranian military sites, including air defence systems, radar installations, missile and drone capabilities, and small naval vessels. It also asserted that Iran does not have control over the Strait of Hormuz.