US Central Command announced on March 1, 2026, that American forces struck and sank an Iranian Navy Jamaran-class corvette at a pier in Chah Bahar on the Gulf.
The strike occurred during the initial phase of “Operation Epic Fury,” a coordinated military campaign that began on February 28, targeting Iranian military infrastructure including command and control facilities, air defenses, and missile launch sites.
CENTCOM stated the vessel was “sinking to the bottom of the Gulf of Oman” following the strike. The command released imagery identifying the Jamaran-class vessel and its location in southeastern Iran. There is also satellite imagery from commercial providers showed smoke rising from the naval wharf at the Konarak Naval Basin near Chah Bahar, where a frigate had been docked.
The Jamaran-class, also designated as Moudge-class, represents Iran’s primary domestically-built surface combatant. The vessels displace approximately 1,500 tonnes, measure 95 meters in length, and carry a crew of 140. Armament includes a 76mm Fajr-27 naval gun, eight Noor anti-ship missiles derived from the Chinese C-802, four Sayyad-2 surface-to-air missiles, and two triple 324mm torpedo launchers. The class is powered by twin diesel engines providing a maximum speed of 30 knots.
Suffered from accidents in past
The Iranian Navy has experienced multiple incidents involving this class. In July 2024, IRIS Sahand capsized and sank at Bandar Abbas during repairs after water ingress caused the vessel to lose balance. Analysts noted that recent upgrades, including additional radar systems and missiles, may have raised the ship’s center of gravity. The vessel was salvaged and recommissioned in November 2025.
In January 2018, IRIS Damavand, the second ship of the class and flagship of the Caspian Sea Fleet, ran aground on a breakwater at Bandar-e Anzali during a storm. The frigate sustained severe structural damage and partially sank on January 28, 2018. Two crew members were lost, and the vessel was deemed beyond repair.
The class was also involved in a friendly fire incident in May 2020, when IRIS Jamaran fired a Noor anti-ship missile that struck the support vessel Konarak during a naval exercise in the Gulf of Oman. The incident killed 19 sailors and wounded 15 others.
With six vessels completed and one under construction, the Moudge-class forms the backbone of Iran’s surface fleet. The loss of another unit further diminishes the operational capacity of the Islamic Republic of Iran Navy’s most capable domestically-produced warships.
