Amid US threats about another armada approaching near the Iranian waters, Tehran too is not behind in sabre-rattling. In response to US threats, Iran has stationed a Shahid Bagheri drone carrier in the Persian Gulf, near the Hormuz Strait.
Footage aired by Iranian state media Press TV showed the footage of the drone carrier near the Iranian waters. “The UAVs are stationed on it and are ready to respond to any attack on the country," the report added. This comes amid reports quoting intelligence assessments that Iran has reinforced its southern coastline with units from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
The Shahid Bahman Bagheri is Iran’s first dedicated naval drone carrier, which was commissioned into the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy (IRGCN) on February 6, 2025. The ship was originally a 42,000-ton container ship named Prarin, which was later converted into a drone carrier.
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Over 240 meters long and 32 meters wide with a draft of 12 metres, the drone carrier has a runway of 180 metres and an inclined jump platform in the style of aircraft carriers for drone takeoff. This ship is capable of carrying and operating various types of drones and helicopters.
In addition to the deck, there is also a very large space on the lower floors of this ship for carrying a multitude of drones and fast missile-launching vessels. It is said that this ship has the capacity to carry 60 drones and 30 missile-launching vessels.
With regard to weapons, the Bagheri UAV carrier is currently equipped with eight Kowsar 222 defensive missiles with a range of 17 km at the front and rear of the ship. Eight anti-ship missiles from the Qader-Nasir series, including four two-launcher launchers, are also located behind the command bridge. There is also a container in this section that probably contains two ballistic missiles. There is also a 30 mm single-barreled cannon at the front of the ship and two 20 mm triple-barreled Gatling cannons at the rear and stern of the ship.
The ship also has electronic warfare teams, missile defense, special commando operations, diving, long-range surface-to-surface missiles, a drone and helicopter control tower, a drone squadron, eight two-story hangars, and the ability to sail continuously for a year.
The deployment of the drone carrier is said to be a staunch warning to the US, considering that Iran has low-cost UAVs that could pose a threat to the Us armada. “If hundreds are launched in a short period of time, some of them will almost certainly reach their targets,” Cameron Chell, CEO of drone manufacturer Draganfly, told Fox News, adding that Iran’s strategy of pairing inexpensive drones with low-cost warheads creates an effective asymmetric threat.
He said such swarms give Iran “a very credible way to threaten surface vessels,” particularly if launched in coordinated waves designed to exhaust magazines and create gaps in coverage.