Report Indicates Over 60% of Iran's IRGC Fast Attack Ships Remain Intact After Airstrikes

A new report from The Wall Street Journal indicates that more than 60% of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps' (IRGC) fast attack ships responsible for patrolling the Strait of Hormuz remain intact after six weeks of US-Israeli airstrikes on Iran's navy.

These ships are small, numerous, and designed for high speeds, enabling them to evade detection and hide in underground pens along the strait's rocky coast. The IRGC fleet's structure developed following the Tanker War in the 1980s, when the US sank much of Iran's conventional fleet in a single-day operation.

Iran's conventional navy has faced heavy damage, with more than 155 vessels sunk, according to the report. In contrast, the IRGC's asymmetrical navy, tasked with policing the Strait of Hormuz, has largely remained operational. This division of roles assigns the conventional navy to patrol other Gulf waterways.

The IRGC demonstrated its fast attack boats during military drills in February, prior to the war's start. The boats, equipped with rocket launchers and capable of laying mines, were shown entering and exiting underground pens at high speeds. US officials reported that Iran's conventional navy was completely destroyed within the first three weeks of the conflict.

The IRGC has used underwater mines and drone attacks to close the Strait of Hormuz, halting a vital trade route for 20% of the world's oil supply. At least 50 attacks on shipping vessels have occurred in the Gulf and Strait since the war began, according to the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data conflict tracker. More than 2,000 ships remain stuck in the Gulf due to these disruptions.

President Trump stated on Sunday that the US and its allies would deploy minesweeping ships and destroyers to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. The report notes that the IRGC's survival rate highlights the effectiveness of its strategy compared to the conventional navy's losses. Fuel prices have risen due to the ongoing disruptions in the strait.

Chris Long, a former British navy official in the Persian Gulf, said the IRGC's vessels would take a long time to fully neutralize. David Des Roches, a former director for Persian Gulf policy at the Defense Department, stated that the asymmetrical strategy has been effective.