WATCH: In First-of-Its-Kind Combat Operation, US Deploys Sea Drones to Strike Iranian Submarine Facility at Strategic Port

US Central Command (CENTCOM) confirmed on Monday that American forces have launched targeted strikes against a submarine and ship maintenance facility inside Iran. The operation, which took place on Sunday, utilized multiple unmanned vessels to hit the strategic site, marking a significant escalation in the ongoing friction between Washington and Tehran.

US Deploys Sea Drones in First-of-Its-Kind Combat Strike

According to an official post by CENTCOM on X (formerly Twitter), the military successfully targeted the critical infrastructure using advanced naval technology. "Yesterday, using multiple one-way attack surface drones, CENTCOM forces successfully struck a submarine and ship maintenance facility in Iran," the post read.

Three Corsair unmanned surface vessels carried out the high-stakes strike at the crucial Bandar Abbas port. This operation marks the very first time American forces have deployed sea drones in actual combat operations.

Following the raid, military officials emphasized the strategic impact of the mission, stating, "Last night's strikes degraded Iran's ability to continue attacking commercial shipping."

Escalating Retaliation and Air Strikes

The strike on the naval facility comes amid a flurry of direct military exchanges, with Washington hitting various parts of Iran. In response, Tehran has been targeting US bases stationed in surrounding Middle Eastern countries, including Qatar, Bahrain, Jordan, and Oman. The Bandar Abbas raid followed just hours after the US military announced it had struck dozens of other Iranian sites on Monday. Those targets included air defense systems, radar installations, missile and drone equipment, and small tactical boats.

The current wave of hostilities was initially sparked by an Iranian attack on a commercial container ship in the Strait of Hormuz on Sunday.

Trump Declares US 'Guardian of the Hormuz Strait,' Proposes 20% Cargo Fee

Amid the kinetic military actions, US President Donald Trump issued strong statements regarding control over the region's vital waterways. Speaking on Monday, following a previous declaration that "we bombed the hell out of them," Trump stated, "we're taking over the Strait of Hormuz."

Expanding on his plans during an interview with Fox and in subsequent posts on Truth Social, Trump announced that the US intends to levy a 20 percent fee on all cargo vessels navigating the strategic chokepoint. "The USA will be, from this point forward, known as "THE GUARDIAN OF THE HORMUZ STRAIT," but as such, and as a matter of FAIRNESS, will be reimbursed, at the rate of 20% on all cargo shipped, for any and all costs necessary to do the job of providing safety and security to this very volatile section of the World," Trump said, adding that the process to facilitate this will begin immediately.

The US President also explicitly denied claims from Tehran that the maritime passageway had been blocked. "The Hormuz Strait is OPEN, and will remain OPEN, with or without Iran," Trump asserted.

Diplomatic Fallout and Casualties on the Ground

The intensifying conflict has cast a shadow over regional diplomacy, leaving the interim agreement signed in June in severe jeopardy. The violence has also resulted in immediate casualties. According to reports from the Iranian Fars and Tasnim news agencies, US strikes on Monday killed two people in an oil-producing region of southwestern Iran, located near the borders of Kuwait and Iraq.

Concurrently, Iranian state television reported that Iran's military fired "warning shots" at two commercial ships attempting to navigate through the Strait of Hormuz, underscoring the volatile situation in the region's shipping lanes.
 

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