Iran Announces Deployment of Small Submarines in Strait of Hormuz

Iran has deployed small submarines in the Strait of Hormuz, according to a top Iranian navy commander cited by state media. The vessels, described by the commander as the "dolphins of the Persian Gulf," are intended to establish what Iranian sources called an "invisible guardian" by operating on the seabed.

State media reported the action follows Iran's prior use of drones and fast attack boats in the waterway.

The commander announced the deployment after the United States briefly launched Project Freedom, a military escort initiative for commercial ships, which was halted. Iran then presented a counteroffer to the U.S. over the weekend. The U.S. rejected that counteroffer as unacceptable, according to reporting drawn from the same sources.

Iran operates at least 16 Ghadir-class midget submarines designed for shallow waters, according to the International Institute for Strategic Studies. Each vessel typically carries crews of fewer than 10 sailors and can be armed with two missiles or two torpedoes.

The submarines displace 115 tons, compared with 6,000 tons for a Los Angeles-class attack submarine. The Strait of Hormuz reaches a maximum depth of about 100 meters, with similarly limited depths in the Persian Gulf. These conditions can complicate operations by larger submarines.

Bloomberg News reported that the Ghadir-class vessels are very noisy, making them easier for adversarial navies to track.

The Strait of Hormuz is the waterway through which more than one-fifth of the world's seaborne oil supplies once flowed annually. Most commercial vessels have since avoided the route. No immediate reports of new vessel attacks have emerged following the announcement. The vessels' operators have not been publicly identified in statements from the U.S. government included in the source materials.