The naval balance of power in the Persian Gulf has shifted decisively following a devastating week for the Islamic Republic of Iran Navy (IRIN). In a series of high-precision strikes as part of Operation Epic Fury, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) confirmed on Wednesday, March 11, 2026, that an entire class of Iran’s most advanced warships has been “rendered combat ineffective” and largely removed from the surface of the sea.
At The Modern Memo, we analyze the systematic dismantling of the Iranian surface fleet, the debut of “ship-killing” ballistic missiles, and what the elimination of these vessels means for the security of the Strait of Hormuz.
The Wiping of the Catamaran Class
The centerpiece of the recent U.S. maritime offensive has been the total destruction of the Shahid Soleimani-class missile catamarans. Representing the pinnacle of Iranian naval engineering, these stealth-designed, high-speed corvettes were the IRGCN’s primary tool for maritime harassment.
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The Tally: In the last ten days, the lead ship IRIS Soleimani was sunk at sea, followed by the destruction of the IRIS Shahid Sayyad Shirazi near Bandar Abbas. The final operational vessels of the class, including the IRIS Haj Qasem, were visually confirmed to be burning or sunk following strikes on March 8 and 10.
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Combat Ineffective: Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth stated Tuesday that this entire class of advanced missile-carrying catamarans is now “out of the fight,” leaving Iran without its most modern surface-to-air and anti-ship missile platforms.
Operation Epic Fury: The Casualty List
Since the launch of the joint U.S.-Israeli campaign on February 28, the Iranian Navy (IRIN) and the Revolutionary Guard Navy (IRGCN) have suffered losses not seen since the “Tanker Wars” of the 1980s.
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Drone Carriers: Both the IRIS Shahid Bagheri and the IRIS Shahid Bahman Bagheri have been eliminated, stripping Iran of its ability to launch long-range UAV swarms from the sea.
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Forward Base Ships: The IRINS Makran, a massive former oil tanker converted into a mobile sea base, was destroyed, removing a critical logistics hub.
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Moudge-class Frigates: This backbone of the traditional navy is now critically depleted, with the IRIS Jamaran, IRIS Dena, and IRIS Sahand all confirmed as casualties.
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Bayandor-class Corvettes: Both the IRIS Bayandor and IRIS Naghdi have been wiped out.
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Mine-Laying Vessels: U.S. forces are currently in an “active hunt” phase, with 16 mine-laying vessels already sent to the bottom as of March 11.
The Debut of the “Ship-Killers”
The rapid destruction of the Iranian fleet has been fueled by the combat debut of the PrSM (Precision Strike Missile) Increment 2. For the first time, the U.S. Army used HIMARS-launched ballistic missiles to target and sink moving vessels at sea.
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Speed and Lethality: Unlike traditional subsonic cruise missiles, these ballistic munitions descend on targets at hypersonic speeds, leaving Iranian air defense systems—already degraded by initial cyber and SEAD (Suppression of Enemy Air Defenses) operations—virtually no time to react.
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The “Zero Fleet” Goal: CENTCOM officials noted that while Iran’s major surface combatants are largely gone, the focus is now shifting to “hunting” the hundreds of IRGCN fast-attack boats and midget submarines that could still pose a threat to merchant shipping.
Final Word
The systematic annihilation of the Iranian Navy is a cold, calculated execution of the administration’s “no nukes, no navy, no missiles” mandate. When you look past the fog of war and focus on the data—the dozens of major vessels sunk and the neutralization of the entire Soleimani catamaran class—you gain a clearer picture of a superpower that has abandoned “proportional response” in favor of absolute naval dominance.
Quality information replaces the noise of Iranian state propaganda with the clarity of satellite imagery and official Pentagon briefings. It allows you to see this not just as a series of skirmishes, but as the total removal of a regional naval threat. By choosing to rely on verified reports of these technological and tactical shifts, you align your perspective with the reality of a transformed Middle East.
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