The Iranian Navy has suffered another heavy blow after the sinking of one of its most advanced warships, the IRIS Shahid Sayyad Shirazi, belonging to the Shahid Soleimani class.
Released images indicate that the vessel was hit during military operations conducted by the United States, caught fire and eventually sank. The episode reinforces the sequence of losses faced by Iranian naval forces in the current conflict.
According to information released by the Pentagon, the confrontation occurred shortly after another significant attack carried out by the U.S. Navy. A U.S. submarine reportedly sank an Iranian frigate in the Indian Ocean using torpedoes, the first recorded case of this type of destruction since World War II. Images of the attack on the Iranian catamaran were reportedly captured by a U.S. surveillance aircraft.
The destroyed ship was part of a relatively new class in the Iranian fleet. The first unit entered service in 2022 and was designed for missions in coastal areas. Despite having a vertical launch system for air defense missiles, anti-ship weapons, cannons and a large flight deck, the vessel was unable to withstand the attack.
In addition to the destruction of this ship, recent satellite images suggest that other important Iranian naval assets have also been lost. Two frigates previously hit in the port of Bandar Abbas reportedly sank, and even Iran’s main Kilo-class submarine appears to have been destroyed. With these accumulated losses, analysts indicate that Iran’s naval capability has been drastically reduced.
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Source: The War Zone | Photo: X @CENTCOM | This content was created with the help of AI and reviewed by the editorial team
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, 2026
