U.S. uses sea drones in combat for first time to attack Iranian naval base, CENTCOM says

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Updated on: July 14, 2026 / 7:39 AM EDT

/ CBS News

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The U.S. military said it used one-way attack sea drones for the first time in combat Sunday in an attack on an Iranian naval port.In a statement shared Monday, U.S. Central Command said forces used multiple sea surface drones to strike a submarine and ship maintenance facility at the Bandar Abbas Naval Base on Iran's coast in the Strait of Hormuz, marking the first time the weapons had been used in combat operations.A video released by CENTCOM showed an aerial view of three small sea drones speeding toward a raised dock that appeared to be holding a small submarine and then exploding. It is unclear from the video how much damage was caused, but each explosion sent tall plumes of smoke into the air, and the last blast shown appeared to cause a large fire.