Iranian Navy Under Attack in Operation Epic Fury
As tensions rose in the Middle East immediately prior to the pre-emptive American and Israeli attack on Iran on February 28, there were indicators of an imminent attack. International airlines abandoned routes through Iranian airspace the previous day, as the USS Gerald Ford (CVN--78) carrier strike group neared the Israeli coast. But the regular Iranian Navy (Nedaja) appears not to have adjusted its deployments and has not conducted a wholesale dispersal to sea from its home ports until hours before the attack.
U.S. Central Command announced on March 1 that U.S. forces struck an Iranian Jamaran-class corvette. According to the report, "The ship is currently sinking to the bottom of the Gulf of Oman at a Chah Bahar pier."
Over previous days, there has been a return to home ports of Nedaja ships which had been out on deployment. Moudge Class frigate IRINS Dena (F75) has completed its participation in the Indian International Fleet Review, and Exercise MILAN-2026 which followed. Rear Admiral Shahram Irani, the Nedaja commander, on February 27 welcomed home the 103rd Naval Flotilla on its delayed return from participation in Exercise Will for Peace 2026 off Cape Town. The flotilla docked at the Konarak Naval Base in Chah Bahar rather than in Bandar Abbas, although the IRGC Navy participant the converted oil tanker, IRIS Shahid Mahdavi (C110-3) appeared to have moved on to its regular mooring in the Bandar Abbas roads.
On February 25, Nedaja frigates IRINS Sabalan (F73), Sahand (F74), Jamaran (F76) and Zagros (H313) were all alongside in the Bandar Abbas Naval Harbor. An unconfirmed report late on February 28 suggested that IRINS Jamaran had been attacked. Also present in the inner harbor was the one Kilo Class submarine believed to be semi-operational IRINS Taregh (S901), and a second still undergoing deep refit in dry dock IRINS Nooh (S902); the whereabouts of the third Kilo Class submarine IRINS Yunes (S903) remains uncertain since it left dry dock some months ago.
Bandar Abbas Naval Harbor, February 27 (Sentinel-2/CJRC)
Unusually, not one of the Bandar Abbas and Hengam Class logistic vessels was in port. At this time on February 27, IRINS Kurdestan (K442) was on its pier in the Outer Harbor, but by the next day it had moved to a position just outside the outer basin, and its place at the pier had been taken by the converted tanker IRINS Makran (K441),
An IRGC Navy (Nedsa) catamaran corvette, probably IRIS Shahid Nazeri, used as a headquarters ship, was moored as it normally is, in the western basin of the Naval Harbor, and the two Nedsa converted oil tanker drone carriers, IRIS Shahid Mahdavi (C110-3) and IRIS Shahid Bagheri (C110-4) were on February 27 anchored in their normal positions in the Bandar Abbas roads, about 4nm south of the Naval Harbor.
On February 27, the last good quality imagery available of Bandar Abbas Naval Harbor area, showed that this disposition of the ships in the harbor was largely unchanged.
The Naval Basin at Konarak, with a frigate being tugged into the naval wharf, Friday February 27 (Sentinel-2/CJRC)
At the Konarak Naval Basin near Chah Bahar, on the eastern border of Iran, serving the 3rd Nedaja Naval District, satellite imagery caught tugs bringing a the last remaining vessel, likely a frigate, into position on the naval wharf. The basin had had several ships alongside the previous day. But imagery from February 28 showed smoke rising from the naval wharf where the frigate had been docked, a ship down in the water, and debris scattered on the dockside. Two other vessels, probably a pair of Kaman Class fast attack craft, were alongside but appear unscathed. There are reports that the nearby Chah Bahar airbase (10TAB) was attacked on February 28, and hardened shelters on the airbase used for storing anti-shipping drones were hit.
Jask Naval Base, February 27, with a patrol boat alongside (Sentinel-2/CJRC)
At the Jask Naval Base, home of the 2nd Nedaja Naval District, imagery on February 27 showed only a patrol boat alongside the naval pier.
This harbor is not normally heavily used, but it appears that no vessels from Bandar Abbas have been dispersed here.
In announcing the attack on Iran, President Trump made specific mention that in Operation Epic Fury, "we’re going to annihilate their navy." However, he did not make clear whether he was referring to the IRGC Navy responsible for most of the threats made in recent weeks to shipping in the Straits of Hormuz, or the regular Navy, the Nedaja. Initial reports suggest that both the Nedsa and Nedaja are being targeted.
Initial reports of strikes suggest that the oil loading terminal on Kharg Island has been attacked. If so, then it is likely that other loading terminals will be struck as well, such as the sporadically-used Single Point Mooring off Jask and the Bushehr LNG Terminal under construction. Previous attacks have not targeted oil and gas terminals or refineries inland, and they are also likely to be hit.
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