US military uses explosive drone boats in combat for the first time, attacking Iranian submarine and port

The US military deployed explosive-laden drone boats in combat for the first time, targeting an Iranian Ghadir-class midget submarine and a ship maintenance facility at Bandar Abbas Naval Base on July 12. Three one-way attack surface drones made a low-speed, uncontested approach before detonating, as confirmed by US Central Command. The strikes mark the first operational use of sea drones by American forces, nearly a decade after Iranian and Houthi forces first employed similar weapons.