Satellite photos have captured Iran’s newest drone carrier sailing in formation with its predecessors – the helicopter-ready Shahid Roudaki and the heavily armed Shahid Mahdavi.
As federal authorities struggle to explain dozens of drone sightings along the East Coast, all eyes are on Iran’s newest maritime threat.
Iran’s newest warship “Shahid Bagheri” began its life as a humble container vessel, but satellite images reveal its remarkable transformation throughout 2023.
When Maxar’s high-resolution cameras first captured the ship at Bandar Abbas’ ISOICO shipyard in February, workers were already stripping the commercial ship down to its bones.
By mid-November, the vessel had an angled flight deck and distinctive jump ramp that gave it the look of a miniature aircraft carrier, though one built specifically for launching drones.
Within just two weeks, the crew had moved their creation to the shipyard’s harbor, and it finally departed in November 2024 for its first sea trials.
The Shahid Bagheri isn’t navigating the Persian Gulf alone.
Recent Maxar satellite photos have captured Iran’s newest drone carrier sailing in formation with its predecessors – the helicopter-ready Shahid Roudaki and the heavily armed Shahid Mahdavi, which joined Iran’s fleet last March, according to Business Insider.
Together, they represent Iran’s growing fleet of drone-carrying vessels, each modified from civilian ships for military purposes.
Dozens of drone sightings across New Jersey since mid-November have drawn attention due to their proximity to sensitive locations, including Picatinny Arsenal military research facility and President-elect Donald Trump’s Bedminster golf course.
Despite denials by the Pentagon, FBI, and Department of Homeland Security, Congressman Jeff Van Drew doubled down Thursday on his claims that Iran is manning the drones.
“This is not the work of a backyard hobbyist,” he declared, adding that he was “not trying to alarm people” but his information comes from “high-level, credible sources, people with expertise and clearance to address real threats.”
“Drones are flying into United States air space, coming in and out of international waters,” Van Drew continued, claiming the drones were “expertly piloted” to evade radar detection.
“We know there is an Iranian drone ship that went missing from its port. And the timing of the disappearance is circumstantially consistent with the beginning of the appearance of these drones. These drones are reportedly the size of minivans,” he said.