US Forces Sink Iranian Drone Carrier in Operation Epic Fury
The United States has successfully sunk the Iranian drone carrier ‘Shahid Bagheri,’ previously known as the container ship ‘Begarin.’ This operation took place in the Gulf of Oman, where the vessel was reportedly being used to launch unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) targeting US military bases and allies in the region. Weighing 42,000 tons and measuring 180 meters long, the ‘Shahid Bagheri’ had a flight deck and was equipped with medium-range air defense systems, UAVs, and helicopters.
The Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) had commissioned the ‘Shahid Bagheri’ in 2025, naming it after Bahman Bagheri, an IRGC commander who died in Iraq in 1997. The ship’s sinking marks a significant setback for the Iranian military, which still maintains a formidable drone fleet despite this loss. Notably, the sinking of the ‘Shahid Bagheri’ is historically significant; it is the largest warship sunk in combat since the Japanese battleship ‘Yamato’ in 1945. This event parallels other historic naval losses, such as the British battleship ‘HMS Hood’ and the German battleship ‘Bismarck.’
The US Central Command (Centcom) announced earlier that all 11 Iranian Navy ships had been sunk, highlighting the ongoing tensions in the region. The sinking of the ‘Shahid Bagheri’ is a crucial development in the context of US-Iran relations and military engagements in the Gulf.
U.S. Forces Save Crew of Sinking Iranian Cargo Ship in Arabian Gulf
China Launches New Maritime Silk Road Connecting Middle East and Beibu Gulf
In a significant development for international trade, China has inaugurated its first shipping route linking the Middle East to the Beibu Gulf, located in the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region of southern China. This new maritime route is expected to facilitate enhanced trade between the regions, as reported by the Chinese state news agency Xinhua.
