CENTCOM Releases Footage Showing Strike on Iran’s Drone Carrier

The command did not specify whether the footage released today documents the initial strike (on March 2nd) or represents a separate engagement. This timing gap has left open the question of whether American forces struck the vessel more than once or whether operational considerations delayed the public release of imagery from the original attack.

The Shahid Bagheri represents Iran’s most significant naval aviation platform. The 40,000-ton vessel was commissioned in February 2025 after being converted from the Perarin, a South Korean-built container ship. Iranian engineers modified the hull to accommodate a 180-meter flight deck equipped with a ski-jump ramp for drone launches.

According to CENTCOM, the vessel had been operating as a “mothership” in the Gulf, serving as a floating launch platform for both unmanned aerial vehicles and ballistic missiles. This operational role made it a priority target as tensions escalated in the region.

U.S. forces aren't holding back on the mission to sink the entire Iranian Navy. Today, an Iranian drone carrier, roughly the size of a WWII aircraft carrier, was struck and is now on fire. pic.twitter.com/WyA4fniZck