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France 24
France 24
World
Paul MILLAR

Why the US is launching naval drones at Iran’s port city of Bandar Abbas

Smoke rises after a US one-way attack surface drone reached its target, a submarine and ship maintenance facility in Bandar Abbas.
Smoke rises after a US one-way attack surface drone reached its target, a submarine and ship maintenance facility according to US Central Command, in Bandar Abbas, Iran, in this screengrab taken from a video, which was released July 13, 2026. © US Central Command via Reuters

The US has pounded Iran’s southern port city of Bandar Abbas since Tehran and Washington renewed missile strikes last week, including an unprecedented sea drone attack on a submarine maintenance facility. We take a look at why this city of more than half a million people has become a prime target for the US military.

Nearly a month after Washington and Tehran signed an interim peace deal designed to put an end to the US-Israeli war against Iran, drones and missiles are once again hurtling back and forth across the Persian Gulf.

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