Summary and Key Points: Christian D. Orr, a veteran defense expert, evaluates the “severe mauling” of the Islamic Republic of Iran Navy (IRIN) during Operation Epic Fury.
-As of March 2026, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) confirms the sinking of 11 vessels, including the IRIS Shahid Bagheri, a 41,000-ton drone carrier.
Shahed-136 Drone. Image Credit: YouTube Screenshot.
-This report analyzes the destruction of the Bandar Abbas naval headquarters and the killing of Admiral Ali Shamkhani.
-Orr concludes that while surface assets like the Alvand-class frigates and Bayandor-class corvettes have been eliminated, Iran’s fleet of Kilo-class and Ghadir-class midget submarines remains the final, lethal “wild card” in the Persian Gulf.
The Sinking of the Shahid Bagheri: Inside the Strike That Destroyed Iran’s Only Drone Carrier
As I type these words, it is the sixth straight day of Operation Epic Fury/Operation Roaring Lion, the massive joint U.S.-Israeli military mission against the 47-year-old murderous, terroristic regime of the Islamic Republic of Iran. In addition to the large-scale killings of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ (IRGC) senior leadership—including no less than Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei himself—as well as the destruction of much of the regime’s air force, nuclear facilities, and ballistic missile sites, the Islamic Republic of Iran Navy (IRIN) has also taken a severe mauling.
The naval aspect is kind of a big deal for two reasons. First, the IRIN was a major nuisance (to say the least) to commercial shipping in the Arabian Gulf in general and the Strait of Hormuz in particular, and second, U.S. President Donald Trump explicitly stated the destruction of the Iranian Navy as one of the mission’s key objectives. Accordingly, all 11 of Iran’s vessels stationed in the Gulf of Oman have reportedly already been destroyed (even Operation Praying Mantis in the 1980s didn’t accomplish that much!). The headquarters of the IRIN fleet in the port of Bandar Abbas has also been mostly destroyed, and Ali Shamkhani, an admiral in Iran’s elite IRGC, has been killed in an Israeli air strike.
Those 11 Iranian sunken warships become an even bigger deal when you realize that they don’t just constitute frigates and corvettes (more on these in a bit); the IRIN has also had to bid a dolorous “khoda hafez” (that’s Farsi for “goodbye”) to its most prized and previously feared possession: its drone carrier.
Death to the Drone Carrier!
The news comes to us from reporter Emanuel Fabian of The Times of Israel, in a March 2, 2026, article. To wit: “The Iranian regime’s false messaging machine continues to falsely claim that it has sunk a US aircraft carrier. The only carrier that has been hit is the Shahid Bagheri, an Iranian drone carrier,’ the US Central Command says…‘US forces struck the ship within hours of launching Operation Epic Fury,’ CENTCOM adds.”
At sea aboard USS Stethem (DDG 63) Ð A Tactical Tomahawk Cruise Missile launches from the guided missile destroyer USS Stethem (DDG 63) during a live-warhead test. The missile traveled 760 nautical miles to successfully impact itÕs intended target on San Clemente Island, part of the Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) test range in Southern California. The Tactical Tomahawk is the next generation of Tomahawk cruise missile, adds the capability to reprogram the missile while in-flight to strike any of 15 preprogrammed alternate targets, or redirect the missile to any Global Positioning System (GPS) target coordinates. It also will be able to loiter over a target area for some hours, and with its on-board TV camera, will allow the war fighting commanders to assess battle damage of the target, and, if necessary redirect the missile to any other target. Launched from the Navy’s forward-deployed ships and submarines, Tactical Tomahawk will provide a greater flexibility to the on-scene commander. Tactical Tomahawk is scheduled to join the fleet in 2004. U.S. Navy photo. (RELEASED)
Tomahawk Missile. Image: Creative Commons.
The CENTCOM post on X doesn’t specify what specific weapons systems were used to strike the Shahid Bagheri, or how many hits were scored, nor does it provide an estimate of Iranian seaman casualties resulting from the attack.
IRIS Shahid Bagheri Backstory and Initial History
The IRIS (Islamic Republic of Iran Ship) Shahid Bagheri (Pennant No. C110-4) started off life back in 2000 as the container ship Peranin (built by HD Hyundai Heavy Industries Co., Ltd. of South Korea).
In addition to being a drone carrier, the Bagheri also serves a dual role as a helicopter carrier.
The conversion process began in 2022, the key component of which was an angled flight deck with a ski-jump in the manner of light aircraft carriers.
The ship was renamed in honor of Shahid Bahman Bagheri, an IRGC commander who was killed in action in Pathak, Iraq, during one of the clashes of the 1980-1988 Iran-Iraq War, thus becoming a martyr in the process.
The renamed vessel was relaunched for sea trials from its home port of Bandar Abbas on November 28, 2024.
On February 6, 2025, the IRGC formally accepted delivery of the vessel, thus officially signifying the Bagheri’s commissioning date (once again taking place at Bandar Abbas).
During the ceremony, then-Commander of the IRGC Navy, Rear Admiral Alireza Tangsiri, proclaimed that “An operational range of 22,000 nautical miles enables the carrier to conduct missions for a whole year in distant waters without the need to refuel…The addition of this vessel to the IRGC Navy fleet marks a significant step in enhancing Iran’s defense and deterrence capabilities in distant waters, while also contributing to the protection of the country’s national interests.”
IRIS Shahid Bagheri Tech Specs and Vital Stats
- Displacement: 41,978 tons (41,315 long tons)
- Hull Length: 240.79 meters (790 ft 0 in)
- Beam Width: 32.2 m (105 feet 8 inches)
- Draft: 11.7 m (38 ft 5 in)
- Installed Power: 20,000 kilowatts (27,000 horsepower)
- Max Speed: 22 knots (41 km/h; 25 mph)
- Endurance: 1,000 days
- Armament: 1 × 30 mm autocannon; 8 × Noor or Qader anti-ship missiles (ASMs); 8 × Kowsar 222 surface-to-air missiles (SAMs)
- Aircraft Types Carried: Different types of helicopters (e.g., Bell-412) and unmanned aerial vehicles (e.g., JAS-313, a drone version of Iran’s infamous so-called “indigenous stealth fighter jet,” the Qaher 313)
Pre-Epic Fury/Roaring Lion IRIN Fleet Strength
Prior to the relentless, ruthless ravaging at the hands of the American and Israeli forces, the World Directory of Modern Military Warships assessed the IRIN’s overall strength at 67 fleet units, ranking it 19th out of 40 national naval powers tracked by the website. Those 67 hulls are divided as follows:
- 25 x submarines: 3 x Kilo-class (1992 vintage), 1 x Fateh-class (2019 vintage), 20 x Ghadir-class midget subs (2007 vintage), 1 x Nahang-class midget sub (2006 vintage)
(Note: To my knowledge, there have been no reports of any Iranian submarines having been sunk; with the Shahid Bagheri out of the way, these remain the biggest seagoing threat to the American carrier strike groups.)
- 8 x frigates: 3 x Alvand-class (1971 vintage), 5 x Moudge-class (2010 vintage)
(Note: At least one of the Alvands was taken out, thus constituting the first confirmed heavy damage or loss of an Iranian warship in the execution of Epic Fury/Roaring Lion)
- 3 x corvettes: 2 x Bayandor-class (1964 vintage), 1 x Hamzeh-class (1998 vintage)
(Note: The two Bayandors, IRIS Bayandor [Pennant No. 81] and IRIS Naghdi [Pennant No. 82], are amongst the aforementioned 11 sunken Iranian warships.)
- 21 x offshore patrol vessels: 10 x Kaman-class (1977 vintage), 5 x Sina-class (2003 vintage), 3 x Kaivan-class (1956 vintage), 3 x Parvin-class (1967 vintage)
- 10 x Amphibious Assault Vessels: 4 x Hengam-class (1974 vintage), 6 x Karbala-class (1998 vintage)
About the Author: Christian D. Orr, Defense Expert
Christian D. Orr is a Senior Defense Editor. He is a former Air Force Security Forces officer, Federal law enforcement officer, and private military contractor (with assignments worked in Iraq, the United Arab Emirates, Kosovo, Japan, Germany, and the Pentagon). Chris holds a B.A. in International Relations from the University of Southern California (USC) and an M.A. in Intelligence Studies (concentration in Terrorism Studies) from American Military University (AMU). He is also the author of the newly published book “Five Decades of a Fabulous Firearm: Celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the Beretta 92 Pistol Series.”
