Moment US blows up Iran naval base using kamikaze drone boats as third night of strikes unfolds

THIS is the moment US forces blow up an Iranian port with kamikaze drone boats – the first time the weapons have ever been used in combat. Dramatic footage shows the vessels glide across the water before blitzing Bandar Abbas Naval Base – the regime’s navy headquarters. The attacks are the latest in a series of tit-for-tat strikes across the Strait of Hormuz as the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed on June 17 lies in tatters. Clips released by US Central Command show three different attacks – each blowing up a port in a shower of smoke and sparks. The kamikaze boats struck a submarine and a ship maintenance facility in a mission hailed as “successful” by US Central Command. The Saronic Corsair, a 24ft autonomous boat, can reach a speed of 35 knots (40mph) carrying up to 1,000lb of payload. Read More World News It can launch long-range strikes reaching targets as far as 1,000 nautical miles away. In a post on X, the US said the strikes would “degrade” Iran’s ability to attack commercial vessels passing through the waterway. It comes as the US launched its third consecutive night of attacks against Iran on Monday. US President Donald Trump warned Iran would be “hit hard” today and tomorrow, with the country’s “Pickaxe Mountain” complex among targets. Most read in The Sun Tehran retaliated, with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps claiming it pummelled US bases in Bahrain and Kuwait. Earlier, Trump announced plans to shut down the Strait of Hormuz for Iranian vessels – and set a toll of 20 per cent on all ships attempting to pass. Trump said on Truth Social on Monday: “We are reinstating the THE IRANIAN BLOCKADE, so named because it is only stopping Iran’s ships or customers from entering or leaving. “All other countries will have fair and open use of the Strait.” He noted that this also meant, “as a matter of FAIRNESS”, that Washington would be “reimbursed, at the rate of 20% on all cargo shipped”. Trump said the process would “begin immediately”. It is unclear how exactly the US will charge the 20 per cent fee on all passing cargo vessels, or how it will protect them. Iran had already announced over the weekend that the strait would be closed “until further notice”. The regime’s foreign minister mocked the decision and said it would control the waterway “forever”. Trump’s declaration comes amid a series of fresh strikes between Iran and the US which kicked off last week. Both sides have accused each other of breaking the ceasefire and Tehran has declared ownership of the Strait of Hormuz. Iranian state media reports that the US has hit the Khuzestan province overnight. Missile alarm sirens have also been heard in Bahrain, the country’s interior ministry said. It comes as the UAE’s ministry of defence reports one crew member killed and several injured after two tankers were hit in the Strait by Iranian missiles. United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations Centre also reported that a vessel was hit by an “unknown projectile” near the Omani coast. Last week, Trump declared the temporary peace deal – the memorandum of understanding – was “over” as Washington and Tehran launched a series of attacks on each other. The mullah regime has unleashed a volley of strikes on Gulf Arab states in response to US attacks – including Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Jordan, and Oman. Trump slammed “sick” Iran for “playing dirty” after Tehran hit 85 American military sites in Bahrain and Kuwait in overnight strikes on July 6. The escalating cycle of violence has left negotiations between Tehran and Washington to end the war in tatters.