U.S. Deploys Sea Drones Against Iran as Conflict Threatens Second Maritime Chokepoint

The U.S.-Iran conflict entered a new phase of technological escalation over the last 24 hours as U.S. forces conducted their first combat deployment of sea drones. The unmanned surface vessels targeted a submarine and ship maintenance facility in the strategic port of Bandar Abbas. This multi-domain expansion coincided with intensified airstrikes on Iranian infrastructure, including the collapse of a trade tower near Chahar and the destruction of bridges in Hormozgan Province. Local medical officials reported at least seven civilian fatalities resulting from these strikes, which Iranian military spokesmen have characterized as potential war crimes. In a significant diplomatic escalation, Tehran has reportedly instructed Houthi rebels in Yemen to prepare for the closure of the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. This move threatens to block a second global maritime chokepoint beyond the Strait of Hormuz if U.S. forces proceed with strikes on the Iranian power grid. President Trump, speaking in a Thursday night address, maintained a firm stance, declaring that the U.S. is "winning big" and will continue the campaign until Tehran returns to the negotiating table. Regionally, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) retaliated with missile and drone strikes targeting U.S. assets and allies in Jordan, Qatar, Syria, and Kuwait, including an attack on a Kuwaiti desalination plant. Amidst the rising violence, the foreign ministers of China and Pakistan met in Shanghai to issue an urgent appeal for a ceasefire, signaling a growing international effort to move the conflict toward a diplomatic resolution as strikes begin to edge closer to Tehran and Semnan.