Iran Deploys Its First Dedicated Drone Carrier Near Strait Of Hormuz As US Naval Activity Grows

Iran has deployed its first dedicated drone carrier, Shahid Bagheri, to the Persian Gulf near the Strait of Hormuz, amid rising tensions with the United States and reports of increased US naval activity close to Iranian waters.

Iranian state media reported that the ship has been positioned near Iran’s southern coastline.

Footage aired by Press TV showed unmanned aerial vehicles stationed onboard and assessed to be ready for operations.

The Shahid Bagheri was formally commissioned into service with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy (IRGCN) on 6 February 2025, marking Iran’s first effort to operate a carrier-style vessel focused mainly on unmanned aerial systems and asymmetric naval warfare.

The ship was originally a 42,000-tonne civilian container vessel named Prarin, which was later converted by Iranian shipyards under IRGC supervision.

The conversion work began in 2022, with Iran choosing to modify an existing commercial ship instead of building a conventional aircraft carrier.

The vessel is over 240 metres long, 32 metres wide, and has a draft of 12 metres. Its deck has been modified into a 180-metre runway with an inclined ski-jump ramp, allowing fixed-wing drones to take off without catapult systems.

The ship is also believed to have arresting gear to recover reusable drones.

Sentinel-2 satellite image of the IRGCN drone carrier, IRIS Shahid Bagheri today anchored ~ 5 km south of Bandar-Abbas port, Jan 27, 2026. pic.twitter.com/oO6zGRhA7V

— Mehdi H. (@mhmiranusa) January 28, 2026

According to open-source assessments, the Shahid Bagheri can carry more than 60 drones, including Ababil-series UAVs, the Mohajer-6, and Shahed-136 loitering munitions.

The flight deck also supports helicopter operations, including aircraft such as the Bell 412 and Mi-17. The ship’s lower decks have space to carry and deploy 30 fast missile-armed attack boats.

In terms of armament, the drone carrier is assessed to be equipped with eight Kowsar-222 defensive missiles with a range of around 17 kilometres, located at the bow and stern. It also reportedly carries eight Qader-Nasir anti-ship cruise missiles positioned behind the command bridge.

For close-range defence, the ship is equipped with a 30-mm cannon at the front and two 20-mm triple-barrel Gatling guns at the rear.

The Shahid Baggeri is also reported to host electronic warfare units, missile-defence teams, special commando forces, diving units, multiple hangars, and a drone and helicopter control tower.

Iranian sources have stated that the ship can remain at sea for up to one year and has an operational range of about 22,000 nautical miles, allowing deployments beyond the Persian Gulf into the Indian Ocean and Red Sea.

At the same time, Western naval analysts have pointed out that the vessel retains many features of a civilian container ship. It lacks the armour and structural protection of purpose-built warships, making it more vulnerable to modern anti-ship weapons.

References: thedefensenews, The Week