Israeli Strike Destroys Half of Iran’s Warships in the Caspian Sea

Photos shared by local residents indicate that an Israeli strike destroyed one corvette and two missile boats, amounting to about half of Iran’s warships and patrol vessels in the Caspian Sea.

The Defence Blog reported on this.

On March 19, 2026, the Israel Defense Forces launched strikes targeting missile vessels and related infrastructure at a naval base in Bandar Anzali on the Caspian Sea. However, the exact targets, weapons used, and the full extent of the attack have not been officially disclosed.

This port is not the primary base of the Caspian Flotilla, also known as the “Northern Fleet,” and was likely used to disperse forces and assets across multiple locations.

According to the outlet’s analysis of the released images, at least two missile boats – likely of the Sina class – were destroyed along with the corvette Hamzeh.

The fleet is known to include one light frigate of the Moudge class, one corvette of the Hamzeh class, three Sina-class missile boats, and one Adjutant-class minesweeper. In addition, it operates a number of patrol boats of the Ghaem and Sewart types.

Sina-class boats are equipped with four Noor anti-ship missiles and are used for coastal defense and fast strike operations, while the Hamzeh served as a command and patrol vessel in Iran’s Caspian Flotilla.

Given its geographic location, this fleet did not pose a direct threat to U.S.–Israeli forces; however, the port itself may have been used to receive weapons shipments from Russia.

In addition, the strike on the naval base fits into the broader U.S. military strategy, even though Israeli forces launched it. Officially, the United States has stated that its goal is not regime change, but rather the destruction of Iran’s capabilities in ballistic missiles and naval power.

The United States has already sunk a significant portion of Iran’s naval vessels during Operation Epic Fury.

According to OSINT analysts, based on open-source data alone, Iran has already lost 42 ships and boats, with another 13 damaged. These losses include 5 frigates, 7 corvettes, 14 missile/fast attack craft, 1 submarine, 4 hovercraft, and 1 landing vessel. The rest consist of auxiliary, specialized, and support craft.

It is also worth highlighting Iran’s loss of INS Makran, its only expeditionary vessel. It was created by converting the oil tanker Al Buhaira, which had been built in Japan. The ship was intended to support long-duration naval operations far from Iran’s shores and served as a forward floating base.

The ship was actively used by the Iranian regime even in European waters. For example, in July 2021, it operated in the area of the English Channel.