World
Sea Creatures Turn Weapons: Iran To Set Loose 'Military-Trained' Dolphins Against US Warships In Hormuz
As the US blockade over the Strait of Hormuz continues, Iran may now be seeking the use of an unusual and controversial tactic to counter it. A report has claimed that Tehran is considering the use of dolphins trained to carry mines as part of potential attacks on US warships in the region.
Officials say that action could involve deploying dolphins equipped with mines to strike enemy vessels. The approach reflects a broader push to consider previously unused weapons as the economic crisis deepens, according to a report by The Wall Street Journal.
“The blockade is increasingly viewed in Tehran not as a substitute for war, but as a different manifestation of it,” Hamidreza Azizi, a visiting fellow specializing in the Middle East at SWP, a Berlin-based research institute, told WSJ. “As a result, Iranian decision makers may soon come to see renewed conflict as less costly than continuing to endure a prolonged blockade.”
Use of military-trained dolphins not a first
But this is not the first time Iran has explored the use of military-trained dolphins. The country acquired such animals from the Soviet navy in 2000, according to the BBC. At the time, they were described as being trained to attack targets using harpoons attached to their backs and to carry out missions involving explosives, including potential kamikaze-style strikes against enemy ships.
Besides dolphin warfare, Iran could also deploy submarines in the waterway. For shippers considering whether to cross the Strait of Hormuz, the risk of attacks above water remains the main deterrent rather than undersea mines.
US to counter with ‘mine-sweeping’
Contradictory comments have been made by Washington about the number of mines and the level of risk they pose. While the military remains concerned about Iran’s ability to mine the crucial waterway, officials have so far said mines are more of a nuisance than a major threat to shipping.
Earlier, US President Donald Trump had ordered the US Navy to “shoot and kill” any Iranian boat laying mines in the strait. But analysts say clearing mines is necessary for vessels to resume using the central route through the strait instead of slower and more congested Iranian routes.
The US Navy maintains a wide range of capabilities for detecting and neutralising naval mines, including helicopters, littoral combat ships, unmanned sea drones, and even trained dolphins under its marine mammal programme. These assets are designed to identify and safely clear underwater threats in high-risk zones.
At the same time, defence companies and navies — particularly in the United States — are increasingly turning to unmanned systems and artificial intelligence to enhance minesweeping operations. However, many of these advanced technologies remain limited in deployment and have yet to be extensively tested in real combat scenarios.
The blockade has cost Iran an estimated $4.8 billion in oil revenue, Axios reported, citing Pentagon assessments.
