Iran is considering an unusual tactic as tensions in the Persian Gulf rise, WION reports. Tehran is discussing the use of trained dolphins for potential attacks on US naval vessels in the Strait of Hormuz.
According to The Wall Street Journal, Iranian authorities are exploring the possibility of deploying dolphins equipped with mines to attack enemy ships. The development comes amid mounting domestic pressure in Tehran following a prolonged naval blockade that has severely restricted the country's oil exports.
Although a fragile ceasefire with the United States remains in place, some hardline factions in Iran view the blockade as tantamount to war and are calling for renewed military action. The dolphin strategy reflects a broader push to employ unconventional methods as the economic crisis deepens.
Iran has explored the possibility of using military-trained dolphins. According to the BBC, the country acquired the animals from the Russian Navy in 2000. It says they are trained to attack targets with harpoons and carry explosives for missions that could include suicide attacks on enemy ships.
"The blockade is increasingly seen in Tehran not as a substitute for war, but as a different manifestation of war," Hamidreza Azizi, a visiting fellow at a Berlin-based think tank, told the WSJ. He added that Iranian decision-makers may begin to see renewed conflict as a better option than a prolonged blockade.
Iran could also deploy submarines in the strategic waterway. The Revolutionary Guard Corps has threatened to cut key telecommunications cables running through the strait, a move that could disrupt global internet traffic and further escalate tensions.
For commercial shipping, however, the main concern remains surface-level threats, not underwater mines. US authorities have issued conflicting assessments of the scale of the mine threat. Donald Trump has ordered the US Navy to shoot down and destroy any Iranian ships that attempt to lay mines in the strait.