U.S. Central Command said Monday that American forces used unmanned surface vessels in combat for the first time, striking an Iranian naval facility that the military said supported attacks on commercial shipping.
In a post on X, CENTCOM said the operation took place Saturday and targeted a submarine and ship maintenance facility at Iran's Bandar Abbas Naval Base.
According to the military, three Corsair unmanned surface vessels struck the port after one-way attack drones were deployed.
"Yesterday, using multiple one-way attack surface drones, CENTCOM forces successfully struck a submarine and ship maintenance facility in Iran," the command said.
CENTCOM described the operation as the first combat use of sea drones by American forces.
"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," the statement said.
The command said the strikes damaged Iran's ability to carry out attacks on commercial shipping in the region.
"Last night's strikes degraded Iran's ability to continue attacking commercial shipping," CENTCOM said.
The military did not provide additional details about the extent of the damage, whether Iranian vessels were destroyed or disabled, or whether there were casualties.
Iranian officials had not publicly commented on the reported strike.
Bandar Abbas, located along the Strait of Hormuz, is Iran's principal naval base and a key hub for both the Iranian navy and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy.
The strategic waterway carries a significant share of the world's oil shipments and has been the site of repeated confrontations involving Iran, the United States and commercial vessels.
The announcement comes amid heightened tensions between Washington and Tehran following U.S. military operations against Iranian targets earlier this year and continued concerns over attacks on international shipping.
The Corsair unmanned surface vessel is an autonomous maritime platform designed to operate without a crew and conduct surveillance or strike missions. The Pentagon has increasingly invested in unmanned air, sea and undersea systems as part of broader efforts to counter adversaries while reducing risks to U.S. personnel.
CENTCOM's statement did not indicate whether additional unmanned maritime operations are planned or whether the strike was part of a broader campaign against Iranian military infrastructure.
The Pentagon has previously highlighted the growing role of autonomous systems in future military operations, but Saturday's attack marked the first publicly acknowledged combat employment of U.S. sea drones, according to CENTCOM.