Naval Systems

Iranian naval surface vessels

Also known as
  • Iranian surface combatants
  • Iranian naval surface combatants
  • IRGCN surface vessels
  • IRIN surface vessels
  • Iranian Navy surface vessels
  • Houdong class missile boats
  • Thondor class missile boats
  • Peykaap patrol craft
  • Ashoora small boats
  • Shahid Soleimani class catamarans

Iranian naval surface vessels in this catalog cover two overlapping fleets: the regular Islamic Republic of Iran Navy's larger frigates, corvettes, and missile boats, and the IRGC Navy's missile boats, patrol craft, fast-attack craft, small boats, and newer missile catamarans. The fleet is usually described as a Strait of Hormuz and Gulf littoral force, combining anti-ship missiles, swarm tactics, boarding pressure, mine-capable boats, and limited larger-combatant presence rather than a peer blue-water surface fleet.

Iranian naval surface vessels, Naval surface vessels, Naval Systems
Image source: Fast-attack craft approaching an internationally flagged merchant vessel.jpg

Role in Conflicts

Profile / Specs

Specifications

Surface-force split
IRIN operates the larger regular-navy surface combatants; IRGCN emphasizes smaller missile boats, patrol craft, fast-attack craft, and inshore small boats.
Fleet mix
Frigates, corvettes, missile boats, coastal patrol craft, fast-attack craft, inshore patrol boats, and newer missile catamarans.
Armament
Class-dependent mix of cannon, machine guns, anti-ship cruise missiles, torpedoes, surface-to-air missiles on newer catamarans, and mine-delivery fittings on some small boats.
Mine delivery
DIA says the IRGCN integrates smaller, faster vessels into mine-laying and that many Ashoora small boats have mine rails able to hold at least one mine.
Known IRGCN missile craft
DIA lists 10 Houdong (Thondor) missile fast-attack craft and separate Peykaap I, II, and III coastal patrol craft categories.
Shahid Soleimani class
USNI reports the first IRGCN guided-missile catamaran was about 213 feet long, had an aft helicopter deck, could launch three fast-attack boats, and had a reported top speed of 32 knots.
Role
Maritime interdiction, coastal denial, escort and patrol, small-boat swarm pressure, mine delivery, and anti-ship missile employment.
Fleet Composition

The sourced fleet picture is clearest by operator and hull role. The regular navy carries the larger surface-combatant lane, while the IRGCN combines missile boats, coastal patrol craft, inshore small boats, and newer catamaran combatants for Gulf and Strait of Hormuz missions.

OperatorRepresentative hullsSupported role
IRINAlvand, Moudge/Jamaran, Bayandor, Kaman/SinaRegular-navy frigates, corvettes, and missile boats for patrol, escort, presence, and anti-ship missile roles.
IRGCNHoudong/Thondor, Peykaap, AshooraMissile fast-attack craft, coastal patrol craft, and inshore small boats tied to swarm pressure, interdiction, and mine delivery.
IRGCNShahid Soleimani classNewer guided-missile catamaran class with VLS, helicopter deck, and stern launch capacity for three fast-attack boats.

Small-boat inventory totals vary by source and date; this entry avoids class-by-class totals except where DIA gives a direct figure or explicitly marks quantities as unknown.

Variants

The catalog groups Iranian surface vessels by sourced class or role because the page covers a fleet lane, not one hull design. Inventory numbers are only repeated where government sources give them directly.

VariantConfigurationDesignation notes
Alvand-class frigatesIRIN surface combatant

Regular-navy frigate class within the larger-vessel surface force; grouped here with other IRIN frigate and corvette lanes rather than as a precise current inventory count.

Sources: ONI Iran's Naval Forces, RAND Military Trends and the Future of Warfare

Moudge/Jamaran-class frigatesIranian-built IRIN frigate/corvette family

DIA identifies the Jamaran program as Iran's largest naval construction project to date and says Iran had completed three Jamaran-class corvettes by its 2019 cutoff.

Sources: Iran Military Power

Bayandor-class corvettesIRIN corvette lane

Older corvettes remain part of the regular navy surface-combatant category covered by the broader fleet sources.

Sources: ONI Iran's Naval Forces, RAND Military Trends and the Future of Warfare

Kaman/Sina-class missile boatsIRIN missile boat and fast-attack craft lane

Represents the regular navy's smaller missile-armed surface combatants, separate from the IRGCN's small-boat swarm force.

Sources: ONI Iran's Naval Forces

Houdong/Thondor-class missile boatsIRGCN missile fast-attack craft

DIA lists 10 Houdong (Thondor) missile fast-attack craft in the IRGCN order of battle and describes them as the IRGCN fleet's capital ships.

Sources: Iran Military Power

Peykaap patrol craftIRGCN coastal patrol and missile/torpedo craft

DIA separates Peykaap I torpedo craft from Peykaap II and III missile craft in the IRGCN order-of-battle table.

Sources: Iran Military Power

Ashoora small boatsIRGCN inshore patrol and mine-capable small-boat lane

DIA says exact numbers for several small-boat types are unknown and separately notes that many Ashoora boats have mine rails capable of carrying at least one mine.

Sources: Iran Military Power

Shahid Soleimani-class missile catamaransIRGCN guided-missile catamaran

USNI says the first Shahid Soleimani-class catamaran entered IRGCN service in September 2022, measured about 213 feet, used domestic aluminum construction, and was Iran's first warship class fitted with vertical launch systems.

Sources: USNI Iran's First VLS Missile Catamaran

Mine Delivery

Iran's small-boat force includes documented mine-carrying craft, making naval mines part of the same littoral sea-denial package.

Carried itemItem typeCarriage evidence
Iranian naval mines, Naval mine family, MunitionsIranian naval minesNaval mine family

DIA says the IRGC Navy modified small boats to deliver mines rapidly and equipped many Ashoora small boats with mine rails capable of holding at least one mine.

Sources: Iran Military Power

Timeline

Iranian naval surface vessels Key Events

  1. New vessels join the Iranian Navy

    Mehr News reports a Bandar Abbas ceremony delivering new marine and submarine vessels to the Iranian Navy, reflecting continued domestic fleet renewal.

    Sources: New vessels join Iranian Navy

  2. IRGCN vessels harass U.S. naval forces

    U.S. Navy reporting says 11 IRGCN vessels made repeated dangerous close approaches to U.S. Navy and Coast Guard vessels in international waters of the North Arabian Gulf.

    Sources: Iranian Vessels Conduct Unsafe Interaction with U.S. Naval Forces in Arabian Gulf

  3. IRGCN Harth 55 crosses U.S. patrol-boat bows

    U.S. Navy reporting says IRGCN Harth 55 and accompanying fast attack craft made unsafe close maneuvers near USCGC Wrangell and USCGC Monomoy in the southern Arabian Gulf.

    Sources: Unsafe and Unprofessional Interaction with Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy

  4. Warning shots after IRGCN close approach

    U.S. Navy reporting says three IRGCN fast inshore attack craft approached USS Firebolt and USCGC Baranof at close range, with Firebolt firing warning shots before the boats moved away.

    Sources: IRGCN Interaction with U.S. Naval Vessels in the North Arabian Gulf

  5. Iranian Navy seizes Advantage Sweet

    U.S. Navy reporting says the Islamic Republic of Iran Navy seized the tanker Advantage Sweet while it transited international waters in the Gulf of Oman.

    Sources: Merchant Vessel Seized by Iran in Gulf of Oman

  6. IRGCN swarms Niovi

    CENTCOM says Iranian IRGC Navy fast-attack craft swarmed the tanker Niovi in the Strait of Hormuz and forced it toward Iranian territorial waters.

    Sources: Second Merchant Vessel Seized within a Week by Iran

  7. Attempted tanker seizures in the Gulf of Oman

    U.S. Navy reporting says Iranian naval vessels tried to seize TRF Moss and Richmond Voyager, with rounds fired at Richmond Voyager during the second incident.

    Sources: U.S. Prevents Iran from Seizing Two Merchant Tankers in Gulf of Oman

Media

Iranian naval surface vessels Videos

Iranian naval surface vessels Images

Iranian naval surface vessels, Naval surface vessels, Naval Systems - view 1
Source: Helicopter prepares to land on IRIS 76 Jamaran.jpg
Iranian naval surface vessels, Naval surface vessels, Naval Systems - view 2
Source: Iranian Velayat-90 Naval Exercise by IRIN (2).jpg
Iranian naval surface vessels, Naval surface vessels, Naval Systems - view 3
Source: New vessels join Iranian Navy Dec 2019 - 2.jpg
Related Weapon Systems
Iranian small attack boats, Small attack boat / fast attack craft, Naval SystemsNaval SystemsIranian small attack boatsSmall attack boat / fast attack craftIranian small attack boats are a mixed Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy fast attack craft and fast inshore attack craft force used for swarm harassment, mine laying, anti-ship missile attack, and littoral sea denial around the Persian Gulf and Strait of Hormuz. The family covers domestically produced speedboats and named classes such as Ashura/Ashoora, Tareq, Zolfaghar/Peykaap, Thondor/Houdong, Boghammar-derived craft, and Bladerunner-derived craft rather than a single standardized design.
Peykaap / Zolfaghar missile boat, Fast attack craft / missile boat, Naval SystemsNaval SystemsPeykaap / Zolfaghar missile boatFast attack craft / missile boatThe Peykaap and Zolfaghar missile-boat family covers North Korean IPS-16-derived Iranian fast attack craft adapted for torpedo or anti-ship missile attack. Official and specialist references place Peykaap I torpedo boats, Peykaap II/Bavar missile boats, and Peykaap III/Zolfaghar missile boats inside the IRGC Navy small-craft inventory, with Kowsar/TL-10, Zafar, and Nasr/C-704-family missile fits on the missile variants. Current Strait of Hormuz reporting discusses IRGCN small-boat swarms and missile threats, but public sources reviewed for this entry did not identify a Peykaap/Zolfaghar hull in a specific 2026 engagement.
Tareq / Boghammar speedboat, Armed speedboat / fast inshore attack craft, Naval SystemsNaval SystemsTareq / Boghammar speedboatArmed speedboat / fast inshore attack craftThe Tareq or Boghammar speedboat family covers Swedish Boghammar high-speed patrol boats and Iranian-built or Iranian-modified descendants used by the IRGC Navy as lightly armed fast inshore attack craft. The type became prominent during the Tanker War phase of the 1980 Iran-Iraq War, when Revolutionary Guard crews used small armed speedboats for harassment and attacks on shipping, and later remained part of Iran's broader small-boat swarm and coastal-denial force.
Iranian submarines, Diesel-electric submarine force, Naval SystemsNaval SystemsIranian submarinesDiesel-electric submarine forceIranian submarines are the Islamic Republic of Iran Navy's mixed diesel-electric submarine force, combining Russian-built Tareq/Kilo boats with domestically built Fateh, Ghadir, and smaller midget-submarine classes. Centered on Bandar Abbas and the Strait of Hormuz, the fleet supports coastal sea denial, mine warfare, and anti-ship strike; during Operation Epic Fury, CENTCOM listed Iranian Navy ships and submarines among vessels damaged or destroyed.
Ashura-class speedboat, Fast patrol boat / fast inshore attack craft, Naval SystemsNaval SystemsAshura-class speedboatFast patrol boat / fast inshore attack craftThe Ashura-class speedboat is a small Iranian fast patrol and fast inshore attack craft family associated with the IRGC Navy's asymmetric small-boat force. Public sources describe the original Ashura/Ashoora boat as a compact glass-reinforced-plastic craft with gun, rocket, troop-carrying, and mine-capable configurations, while later Iranian reporting also applies the Ashura-class label to improved missile-capable boats.

Sources

ONI Iran's Naval ForcesPublisher: U.S. Office of Naval Intelligence | Note: Supports Iranian Navy and IRGCN surface-force composition, including fast attack craft, small boats, and anti-ship missile emphasis. | Accessed: 2026-06-20Iran Military PowerPublisher: Defense Intelligence Agency | Note: Supports IRGC Navy small-boat mine delivery, Ashoora small boats with mine rails capable of holding at least one mine, IRGCN order-of-battle class categories, and Iranian domestic naval production. | Accessed: 2026-06-27USNI Iran's First VLS Missile CatamaranPublisher: U.S. Naval Institute | Note: Supports the Shahid Soleimani-class guided-missile catamaran row, including IRGCN service, approximate length, VLS fit, helicopter deck, stern fast-attack-boat launch capability, and reported speed. | Accessed: 2026-07-13RAND Military Trends and the Future of WarfarePublisher: RAND Corporation | Note: Supports the broader characterization of Iranian surface combatants as coastal patrol craft, fast attack boats, and a small frigate-heavy blue-water force. | Accessed: 2026-06-20Producing large vessels on IRGC Navy agendaPublisher: Mehr News Agency | Note: Supports Iranian domestic ship-production context: the IRGC Navy said it was constructing vessels and other equipment on its own. | Accessed: 2026-06-20New vessels join Iranian NavyPublisher: Mehr News Agency | Note: Supports the December 4, 2019 Bandar Abbas delivery ceremony for new marine and submarine vessels in the Iranian Navy. | Accessed: 2026-06-27Iranian Vessels Conduct Unsafe Interaction with U.S. Naval Forces in Arabian GulfPublisher: U.S. Navy | Note: Supports 2020 United States-Iran Conflict direct conflict-use: IRGCN vessels were used by Iran for dangerous close approaches to U.S. naval and Coast Guard vessels in the North Arabian Gulf on April 15, 2020. | Accessed: 2026-07-13Unsafe and Unprofessional Interaction with Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps NavyPublisher: U.S. Navy | Note: Supports 2020 United States-Iran Conflict direct conflict-use: IRGCN Harth 55 and fast attack craft were used by Iran in unsafe close maneuvers near U.S. Coast Guard patrol boats on April 2, 2021. | Accessed: 2026-07-13IRGCN Interaction with U.S. Naval Vessels in the North Arabian GulfPublisher: U.S. Navy | Note: Supports 2020 United States-Iran Conflict direct conflict-use: IRGCN fast inshore attack craft were used by Iran in a close approach to USS Firebolt and USCGC Baranof on April 26, 2021. | Accessed: 2026-07-13Merchant Vessel Seized by Iran in Gulf of OmanPublisher: U.S. Navy | Note: Supports 2020 United States-Iran Conflict direct conflict-use: Islamic Republic of Iran Navy surface forces were used by Iran to seize Advantage Sweet in the Gulf of Oman on April 27, 2023. | Accessed: 2026-07-13U.S. Prevents Iran from Seizing Two Merchant Tankers in Gulf of OmanPublisher: U.S. Navy | Note: Supports 2020 United States-Iran Conflict direct conflict-use: Iranian naval vessels were used by Iran in the July 5, 2023 attempted seizures of TRF Moss and Richmond Voyager in the Gulf of Oman. | Accessed: 2026-06-20Second Merchant Vessel Seized within a Week by IranPublisher: U.S. Central Command | Note: Supports 2020 United States-Iran Conflict direct conflict-use: IRGCN fast-attack craft were used by Iran to swarm Niovi in the Strait of Hormuz on May 3, 2023. | Accessed: 2026-06-20Fast-attack craft approaching an internationally flagged merchant vessel.jpgPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports the primary image provenance and public-domain licensing for the U.S. Navy surveillance screenshot of Iranian fast-attack craft. | Accessed: 2026-06-20Helicopter prepares to land on IRIS 76 Jamaran.jpgPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports gallery image provenance and CC BY 4.0 licensing for the IRIS Jamaran frigate image. | Accessed: 2026-06-20Iranian Velayat-90 Naval Exercise by IRIN (2).jpgPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports gallery image provenance and CC BY 4.0 licensing for the IRIN missile-boat exercise image. | Accessed: 2026-06-20New vessels join Iranian Navy Dec 2019 - 2.jpgPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports gallery image provenance and CC BY 4.0 licensing for the 2019 Iranian Navy vessel-delivery image. | Accessed: 2026-06-20