US Destroyers Attacked by Iran?
“Are US Navy destroyers safe from an onslaught of Iranian anti-ship missiles and mosquito boats? Well, this is how the Iranian attack works. The attack opens with a classic swarm tactic. Dozens of small, lightning fast speedboats converging on the US Navy warship from all directions. The second stage escalates the threat with a coordinated barrage of anti-ship missiles and explosive drones.
The core of this tactic is oversaturation by throwing an overwhelming number of targets at the ship simultaneously. The goal is to overload the destroyer’s defense systems in hopes that they will eventually fail to intercept every single threat. So, how does a US Navy destroyer actually counter these complex attacks? To handle the surface swarm, the Navy would deploy ship-based MH-60 Seahawk helicopters or call in Allied Apache gunships to hunt down and neutralize the small boat fleet long before it gets within striking range.
During project freedom operation, two Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyers, the USS Truxtun and the USS Mason transited the strait to escort US flagged merchant ships. In response to the US presence in the blockaded waterway, Iranian forces launched an intense sustained assault on the naval convoy.
But how did this attack happen? The moment the USS Truxtun and USS Mason entered the kill zone, the horizon lit up. Iran didn’t just probe the American defenses. They unleashed a synchronized multi-domain barrage designed to completely overwhelm the destroyers and the merchant ships they were escorting. First came the swarm. The surface of the water churned as Iran’s infamous mosquito fleet closed in.
Dozens of heavily armed fast attack boats aggressively maneuvered to distract, harass, and split the attention of the American crews. Simultaneously, the airspace above the strait filled with incoming threats. Unmanned aerial vehicles saturated the sky, acting as the vanguard for the heavy hitters. But that’s not it.
It also fired a volley of anti-ship cruise and ballistic missiles fired from the Iranian coastline close to the Iranian Strait of Hormuz locking onto the convoy. This was an Iranian textbook saturation attack strategy. Throw enough threats from enough directions all at once and hope something slips through the net.
But how did the US Navy fight back against these attacks? Deep inside the Truxtun and Mason, the Aegis combat systems went to work. The destroyers engaged the incoming missiles and drones with SM-2 missiles fired from the vertical launchers. These anti-air defense missiles will lock on to the incoming P-15 anti-ship missile and hunt down and often use hit-to-kill technology, destroying the target with kinetic energy rather than explosives.
But wait, the destroyers weren’t fighting alone. Providing close air support, US Army AH-64 Apaches and Navy MH-60 Seahawks dropped in to neutralize the surface threat. Acting as the fleet’s eyes and teeth, the helicopters turned their chain guns and Hellfire missiles onto the swarming mosquito fleet.
The moment the Iranian boats broke formation and charged the commercial ships, the helicopters dropped in. The Apache and Seahawk crews use their advanced electro-optical and infrared sensor suites to cut through the chaos, locking onto the heat signatures of the erratic speedboats darting across the water.
Operating comfortably out of range of the speedboat’s light weapons, the helicopters opened up. It was a clinical application of overwhelming firepower. The crews utilized a deadly combination of AGM-114 Hellfire missiles for pinpoint, devastating strikes, and their 30 mm chain guns to literally tear the lightly armored hulls of the fast boats to shreds.
Apart from speedboats, how does Iran take on the US Navy with its massive aircraft carriers and advanced destroyers? Well, Iran’s strategy isn’t to face the US head on. It is to rely on asymmetric warfare. Take this for example. These two civilian ships are sailing near an aircraft carrier. Everything looks completely normal.
But then with the press of a button, a shipping container door opens up and out comes a missile. These are the self-made Iranian anti-ship missiles which can still pack a punch. This is instantly followed by a swarm of low-flying drones and fast attack boats from within the cargo ships. And not to forget the small submarines.
These submarines can launch torpedoes at the same time. In quick succession, it can pass through the carrier strike group defense system and even achieve 10% impact. They may not sink the carrier, but they can damage it enough to make the waters too dangerous for the US to operate in. So, let’s look at the four key tactics they would likely use.
Tactic one. First and perhaps most famous is the Swarm. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy operates hundreds of small fast attack craft armed with heavy machine guns, rockets, and anti-ship missiles. The tactic here is simple but deadly. Instead of trying to fight a US destroyer one-on-one, which they would lose, they deploy dozens of small boats simultaneously from every direction.
The goal is to overwhelm the US ship’s defensive systems like the Phalanx by presenting more targets than the ship can track and destroy at once. Moving to tactic two, mining the strait. Next, we have the silent killer, mining the Strait of Hormuz. This is the world’s most critical oil choke point. Iran maintains an inventory of thousands of naval mines, including smart mines that can listen for the specific acoustic signatures of enemy ships.
In a conflict, Iran could use submarines, small boats, or even disguise civilian vessels to drop mines right into the shipping lanes. The goal here isn’t just military, it’s economic. This would deny the US Navy safe passage and immediately spike global oil prices, inflicting massive economic pain on the US and its allies.
Here comes tactic three, the kill zone. Third is the geographic advantage, coastal missile batteries. The Iranian coastline is mountainous and rugged, perfect cover for mobile missile launchers. The regime also employs shoot and scoot tactics using truck-mounted cruise and ballistic missiles. They fire a missile and immediately move to a new hiding spot before the US can strike back.
This effectively turns the Gulf into a kill zone where US ships are under constant threat of fire from land with nowhere to hide. Tactic four, we have the ambush threat: submarines. The Persian Gulf is actually quite shallow, which makes it difficult for massive US nuclear submarines to operate. However, it is perfect for Iran’s fleet of diesel electric mini subs like the Ghadir-class.
These small subs can sit silently on the seafloor waiting for a target to pass overhead before firing torpedoes. It’s a surprise ambush tactic designed to damage high value assets like carriers or destroyers while remaining almost impossible to detect by sonar. These small but stealthy diesel electric submarines designed for operations in the shallow waters of the Persian Gulf pose a significant threat to US aircraft carriers.
The Ghadir-class submarines which are difficult to detect due to their small size and low acoustic signature could position themselves in strategic locations near key naval choke points such as the Strait of Hormuz. Equipped with heavyweight torpedoes and capable of deploying naval mines, these submarines could launch surprise attacks on US aircraft carriers.
By waiting in ambush near expected carrier movements, Ghadir-class submarines could fire a coordinated torpedo strike, targeting the hull and propulsion systems of US carriers. A successful torpedo strike on an aircraft carrier could disable its flight deck operations, significantly reducing the US Navy’s ability to project air power in the region.
Additionally, these submarines could lay underwater mines in critical sea lanes, forcing US warships into predetermined ambush zones where Iranian missile and drone attacks could follow up. Tactic five, we can’t ignore the aerial threat. This is drone warfare. Iran has invested heavily in becoming a drone superpower in the Middle East.
In a conflict, they would use UAVs not just for surveillance, but as loitering munitions, essentially suicide drones. The tactic is to launch them in massive waves to crash into the sensitive radar dishes and flight decks of US ships. The goal is to blind the fleet sensors and halt flight operations, leaving the ships vulnerable to missile attacks.
Let’s look at tactic six. The US fleet relies on ports in Bahrain and air cover from bases in Qatar to sustain the fight. Iran possesses the largest ballistic missile arsenal in the Middle East. Their strategy includes massive missile barrages targeting these static headquarters and logistical hubs.
The goal isn’t just to destroy buildings, but to deny the US Navy the fuel, ammo, and command support it needs to stay in the fight. If the ships have nowhere to dock, they can’t stay in the Gulf.
Iran’s military strategy for targeting US air bases in the Middle East would likely rely on a coordinated multi-domain approach. By combining its missile arsenal, drone capabilities, and proxy forces, Iran aims to overwhelm American defenses and inflict significant damage.
Among the high-value targets Iran would likely prioritize are Al-Udeid air base in Qatar, Naval Support Activity (NSA) Bahrain, multiple US military bases in Iraq and Al Dhafra air base in the United Arab Emirates. This approach reflects Tehran’s broader strategic objectives: deterring US military intervention, retaliating decisively in the event of conflict, and asserting its influence across the region.
One of the most probable targets in a direct confrontation is Al-Udeid Air Base in Qatar. As the largest US military installation in the Middle East, it hosts around 8,000 American troops and serves as the regional headquarters for US Central Command. The base plays a crucial role in supporting air operations across the region and is a central pillar of the US military presence in the Gulf.
To strike Al-Udeid and similar bases, Iran could deploy ballistic missiles such as the Fate-110, which has a range of about 300 km, or the Qiam-1, capable of reaching up to 800 km. If it uses a proximity fuse, it may detonate just above the surface air burst to maximize fragmentation and increase the affected area. Complete destruction of unarmored structures and lethal to unprotected personnel.
Extreme over pressure, possibly 100 to 300 PSI in this zone will destroy hardened aircraft shelters, fuel tanks, and command posts if directly hit. Depending on where these missiles are launched from, they pose a credible threat to key US installations across the Gulf. In Bahrain, the Naval Support Activity (NSA) Bahrain base serves as the headquarters of the US Naval Forces Central Command and the US Fifth Fleet.
With more than 9,000 American personnel stationed there, it is the only permanent US Naval Shore Base in the Middle East. Its port facilities are capable of accommodating aircraft carriers and amphibious ships, making it a vital maritime hub. Given NSA Bahrain’s role, Iran may also target US warships in port or operating in nearby waters.
It possesses a highly developed arsenal of anti-ship cruise missiles launched from coastal batteries or naval platforms which can threaten US naval superiority in the Persian Gulf. Iran may also exploit proxy forces including Yemen and pro-Iranian militias in Iraq to launch indirect attacks or stir instability within Bahrain itself. In Kuwait, the US maintains a strong presence at Camp Arifjan and Ali Al Salem air base, which together host around 13,500 troops as of 2021.
These facilities act as key operational and logistical hubs, particularly for US missions in Iraq and the broader Gulf region. They also use these Soviet era anti-ship missiles with solid booster and liquid fuel attached to it produced during the Cold War which are employed for the attacking mission.
When launched, the first stage booster fires off for two to three seconds, after which the second stage takes off. It searches for a target using analog radar. When locked and ready, it can destroy a ship using a hollow-shaped charge warhead. This has the potential to either destroy or sink a cargo ship if it hits at the right angle.
Scenario two. This involves the use of a Soviet era missile that was re-engineered by the Iranians, converting it into an anti-ship missile. The converted SA-2 missile can be launched from within 45 km or 28 mi from the target. Take for example the US destroyer sailing through the Red Sea. When fired, they can travel at a speed of Mach 3.5.
These actions create a psychological impact and disrupt trade routes.”
