Iranian officials reportedly consider deploying dolphins armed with explosive mines to launch suicide attacks against U.S. warships in the Strait of Hormuz, as financial pressure from America’s military blockade intensifies calls for military retaliation among Tehran’s hardliners.

Weaponized Marine Mammals Return

Iran purchased dolphins trained for combat operations from the Soviet navy in 2000, according to BBC reporting at the time. The marine mammals received training to attack enemy vessels using harpoons mounted on their backs and to conduct kamikaze strikes by carrying explosive mines directly to target ships. Tehran now considers activating these trained dolphins as part of its response to the extended U.S. blockade that has strangled Iran’s oil export revenues for weeks, Wall Street Journal sources confirmed.

Blockade Fuels War Rhetoric

Growing numbers of Iranian hardliners view the American naval blockade as equivalent to an act of war, pushing Tehran closer to resuming military operations despite the fragile cease-fire. The financial crisis sparked by blocked oil exports has devastated Iran’s economy, leading decision-makers to believe renewed conflict may cost less than enduring prolonged economic strangulation. Beyond dolphin attacks, Iranian officials also threaten submarine deployments and cutting undersea phone cables running through the strait, which would disrupt global internet communications.

Strategic Waterway Under Threat

The Strait of Hormuz serves as a critical chokepoint for global oil shipments, making it a strategic flashpoint between Washington and Tehran. Iranian Revolutionary Guard forces have already threatened infrastructure attacks in the region. Hamidreza Azizi, a Middle East fellow at Berlin’s SWP research institute, told the Journal that Iranian leadership increasingly views the blockade not as a war alternative but as war itself under different terms. This shift in perception makes military escalation more likely as Tehran calculates the costs of continued economic pressure versus armed confrontation with American naval forces.