Key facts
- U.S. strikes caused serious damage to two naval search and rescue vessels in Iran's Hormozgan province.
- Satellite images revealed fires at Iran's primary naval headquarters in Bandar Abbas.
- Commercial traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has effectively stalled.
- Iran's Revolutionary Guards claimed the Strait of Hormuz was closed, a statement disputed by U.S. Central Command.
- Multiple fires were reported at the Port of Bandar Abbas, with one involving a vessel.
U.S. strikes have caused serious damage to two naval search and rescue vessels in Iran's Hormozgan province, according to the ISNA news agency, citing the province's port authority. Satellite images released Monday show fires burning and vast plumes of black smoke rising from Iran’s main naval headquarters at Bandar Abbas, with at least one vessel ablaze following a strike.
The escalation comes as commercial tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has effectively stalled, according to maritime intelligence firm Windward AI. Iran’s Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) commander also said the Strait of Hormuz was closed Monday, with Iran claiming it would set fire to any vessel trying to pass. However, Fox News National Security Correspondent Jennifer Griffin confirmed, citing CENTCOM, that the Strait of Hormuz remains open. A senior U.S. military official stated Iran is neither patrolling nor enforcing its claimed "closure," and there has been no evidence of mines in the waterway, though commercial vessels are navigating cautiously.
Windward AI reported that as of 10:56 a.m. GMT on March 2, 2026, the Port of Bandar Abbas was experiencing multiple active fires, including one aboard a berthed vessel. Two fires were located at port infrastructure facilities, and one involved a vessel at berth. Seventeen military vessels and five commercial ships remained docked. Windward warned that active fires at Iran’s principal naval and commercial port introduce "additional operational uncertainty" and raise the risk of secondary maritime disruption across the Gulf.
Satellite imagery analyzed by BBC Verify identified a damaged vessel consistent with a Makran-class forward base ship operated by the Iranian Navy. The Makran is a converted tanker measuring about 228 meters, serving as a mobile maritime base and helicopter carrier. The strike at Iran's naval HQ came on the third day of open conflict, with U.S. Central Command saying it had sunk 11 Iranian vessels in the Gulf of Oman.
Separately, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) claimed on Saturday that two oil tankers exploded and caught fire after hitting mines south of the Strait of Hormuz, while the United States dismissed the claim. The IRGC alleged the vessels entered a mined area after being "deceived" by U.S. intelligence agencies. U.S. Central Command rejected the allegation, posting on X: “Like most IRGC claims, this is false.” The identities of the two tankers were not disclosed. The IRGC also stated it had "stopped" four ships attempting to transit the Strait of Hormuz.