After carrying out the so-called Operation Epic Fury, which triggered a new chapter of conflict in the Middle East, the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) confirmed that it managed to sink a Jamaran-class light frigate of the Iranian Navy as part of an initial attack. According to a brief statement posted on social media, the vessel is now destroyed at the pier in Chah Bahar, located in the Gulf of Oman (at the country’s southernmost tip), while warnings were issued to Iranian personnel to abandon their ships and lay down their weapons.
The development comes virtually at the same time that U.S. President Donald Trump stated on his Truth Social account that a total of nine ships belonging to the aforementioned institution had been destroyed. Quoting some of his official remarks: “I have just been informed that we have destroyed and sunk 9 ships of the Iranian Navy, some of them relatively large and important. We are going after the rest: soon they too will be resting on the bottom of the sea! In another attack, we largely destroyed their naval headquarters. Other than that, their Navy is doing very well!”
In the particular case of the light frigate that was recently sunk, it is worth recalling that it was one of the main surface vessels equipping the Iranian Navy produced domestically, with an estimated displacement of around 1,500 tons and a length of 95 meters. Previously crewed by approximately 140 personnel, the ship was characterized by carrying a 76 mm Fajr-27 main gun, complemented by Noor anti-ship missiles, Sayyad-2 surface-to-air missiles, and 324 mm torpedo launchers. It is also known that it was powered by a two-diesel-engine propulsion system, enabling it to reach speeds of up to 30 knots.
Although it is not yet known which specific Jamaran-class vessel was sunk, it is also useful to note that these ships have represented problems for the Iranian Navy on more than one occasion. Recalling some recent precedents, it should be highlighted that in 2018 the institution declared the IRIS Damavand beyond repair after it ran aground in Bandar-e Anzali during a storm, at which time it partially sank and two crew members lost their lives. Furthermore, in 2020, the IRIS Jamaran was involved in a friendly-fire incident in which a missile was fired at the support ship Konarak during a naval exercise, resulting in the death of 19 crew members and a similar number of injuries.
Another setback for the force with the Jamaran class occurred in 2024, when the vessel IRIS Sahand sank in Bandar Abbas while undergoing repairs, due to severe water ingress. At that time, Western specialists pointed out that the ship was receiving a new radar and additional armaments, which may have affected the design and balance of the original configuration to the point of capsizing, making it necessary to carry out an emergency operation to salvage it and return it to service in 2025.
Finally, it is worth recalling that the U.S. and Israeli attacks against Iran also reportedly involved the destruction of various “Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps command and control facilities, Iranian air defense capabilities, missile and drone launch sites, and military airfields,” according to information published by CENTCOM. Moreover, the governments of both countries insinuated that Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, the highest authority of the Islamic regime, who was in Tehran and allegedly struck by the airstrikes, had also been killed—something that was initially denied by Iran.
*Images used for illustrative purposes.
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