Summary
- US forces say they struck an Iranian Jamaran-class warship, which is now sinking in the Gulf of Oman.
- Satellite imagery shows smoke rising from a vessel near Konarak, though Iran has not confirmed the strike.
- The attack marks a naval escalation as US-Israeli operations continue following the killing of Iran’s supreme leader.
NAIROBI, Kenya – The conflict between the United States and Iran has spilled decisively into the sea.
The US military says it has struck an Iranian warship that is now “currently sinking to the bottom of the Gulf of Oman,” opening a new naval chapter in a rapidly expanding regional confrontation.
In a statement, US Central Command said an Iranian Jamaran-class corvette was hit during the opening phase of Operation Epic Fury.
“As the President said, members of Iran’s armed forces, IRGC and police must lay down your weapons. Abandon ship,” CENTCOM said.
Smoke Over Konarak
High-resolution satellite images released on Saturday show thick plumes of smoke rising from a vessel moored at a pier in Konarak, a port city in Iran’s south-eastern corner along the Gulf of Oman.
It remains unclear whether the smoking vessel is the Jamaran-class corvette named by US officials. The Pentagon has also not specified whether the ship belonged to Iran’s regular navy or the naval wing of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
Iran has yet to publicly confirm the strike.
What Is the Jamaran?
The Jamaran, also known as the Moudge class, is one of the most capable warships built domestically by Iran.
Displacing roughly 1,500 tonnes, the vessel is designed for anti-surface, anti-air and anti-submarine operations. The first ship in the class entered service in 2010 and has long been showcased as a symbol of Iran’s naval self-sufficiency.
If confirmed sunk, the loss would represent a significant blow to Tehran’s maritime capabilities.
A Wider Campaign Underway
CENTCOM said the naval strike was part of coordinated attacks launched on February 28, targeting Iranian military infrastructure including command-and-control sites, air-defence systems, missile and drone launch positions, and military airfields.
The operation comes as US-Israeli strikes enter a second day following the killing of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, whose death was confirmed by Iranian state media.
Early Sunday, a powerful blast rocked Tehran after Israel said it had launched wide-ranging strikes inside the Iranian capital.
Retaliation and Rising Casualties
Iran’s IRGC claims it has struck almost 30 US military bases across the Middle East, describing the campaign as the regime’s largest offensive operation so far.
US officials say three American service members have been killed, with five others seriously injured, amid Iran’s ongoing retaliatory attacks.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Sunday that state institutions were still functioning and that a new supreme leader could be selected soon.
War Reaches the Water
For years, analysts warned that a direct US-Iran conflict would not stay confined to airspace or proxies. The reported sinking of an Iranian warship suggests that threshold has now been crossed.
The question hanging over the Gulf of Oman is no longer whether the conflict will widen — but how far.
