Top American admiral in the Middle East says the US struck an Iranian drone carrier. He said "it's on fire."

"In just the last few hours, we hit an Iranian drone carrier ship, roughly the size of a World War II aircraft carrier, and as we speak, it's on fire. US forces have sunk over 30 Iranian vessels since the start of Operation Epic Fury last weekend."

"Iran's drone carriers are specialized crewed combat vessels capable of launching a mix of one-way attack drones and uncrewed reconnaissance and strike platforms. Destroying Iran's naval forces, including warships, has been named a priority by US President Donald Trump and other officials in Operation Epic Fury."

"The vessel features a ski-jump ramp, akin in some respects to those on Soviet-built carriers like the Russian Admiral Kusnetsov or Chinese derivatives, that are used to launch aircraft. The vessel can launch a mix of different drones."

The US military struck an Iranian drone carrier, leaving it on fire, according to Admiral Brad Cooper, commander of US Central Command. The vessel is a specialized combat ship capable of launching attack drones and reconnaissance platforms, comparable in size to a World War II aircraft carrier. The strike represents part of Operation Epic Fury, a campaign prioritizing destruction of Iranian naval forces. US forces have sunk over 30 Iranian vessels since the operation began last weekend. Iran operates multiple drone-launching platforms, including the IRIS Shahid Bagheri, a purpose-built carrier featuring a ski-jump ramp for drone launches. Additionally, US bombers struck nearly 200 targets deep inside Iran within 72 hours, with decreases reported in Iranian ballistic missile and drone attacks.

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