On March 4, 2026, the Iranian Navy’s IRIS Shahid Sayyad Shirazi, a Shahid Soleimani-class missile catamaran corvette, was struck as part of the ongoing Operation Epic Fury.
The vessel was reported burning at sea but remained afloat, having sustained considerable damage with visible fire and smoke emanating from its hull.
During a speech on the same day, U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegeseth stated that they sank Iran’s newest warship, IRIS Shahid Sayyad Shirazi.
U.S. forces have struck or sunk to the bottom of the ocean more than 20 ships from the Iranian regime. Last night, CENTCOM added a Soleimani-class warship to the list. pic.twitter.com/KgW8cS726P
— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM)
March 4, 2026The Shahid Sayyad Shirazi is among the newest additions to Iran’s naval fleet, having been commissioned in February 2024. The Shahid Soleimani-class represents Iran’s push toward faster, stealthier surface combatants. Built on a catamaran composite hull designed for reduced radar signature, the class can reach speeds of up to 45 knots and carries both Nawab and Sayad cruise missile systems.
The corvette had been operationally active in recent weeks. During the “Smart Control of the Strait of Hormuz” exercise in February 2026, the Shahid Sayyad Shirazi conducted what Iranian media described as the first public shipborne launch of the Sayyad-3G surface-to-air missile—a long-range naval air-defense variant. The vessel’s home port was Bandar Abbas.
Exclusive /
IRGC Navy's IRIS Shahid Sayyad Shirazi, Soleimani-class corvette warship has been targeted.
Bandar Abbas, Hormozgan Province, #Iran
(Do not watermark my media please, copy/use/share AS IS) pic.twitter.com/eOzhrlgrXo
