Questions around Iran's possible military tactics in the Strait of Hormuz took an unusual turn after reports suggested Tehran could deploy "mine-carrying dolphins" against US warships amid rising tensions in the Middle East.
Responding to the speculation, US Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth reportedly dismissed claims that Iran possessed such capabilities, while jokingly refusing to comment on whether the United States had similar programmes.
"I cannot confirm or deny whether we have kamikaze dolphins, but I can confirm they don't," NDTV quoted Hegseth as saying during a media briefing.
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What sparked the claims?
The discussion emerged after a Wall Street Journal report published on April 30 claimed Iranian officials had floated the possibility of using "mine-carrying dolphins" to target US naval vessels in the Strait of Hormuz.
The report did not confirm whether Iran actually possesses such a programme or the operational ability to deploy dolphins in combat.
The Strait of Hormuz remains one of the world's most strategically important shipping routes, and concerns over naval mines and maritime disruption have intensified amid the ongoing regional conflict.
US dolphin programme dates back decades
While Hegseth dismissed the Iran claims, the United States does operate a long-running marine mammal programme.
The US Marine Mammal Program, active since 1959, trains bottlenose dolphins and California sea lions for underwater detection and recovery missions. The programme falls under the Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance department within the Naval Information Warfare Center Pacific.
However, these dolphins are not trained for suicide missions or attacks.
According to the programme's official website, dolphins are used to detect underwater mines and mark their locations for naval teams.
"Both dolphins and sea lions have excellent low-light vision and underwater directional hearing that allow them to detect and track undersea targets, even in dark or murky waters... Dolphins are trained to search for and mark the location of undersea mines that could threaten the safety of those on board military or civilian ships," the website states.
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Other countries who have used marine mammals
The United States is not the only country to use sea mammals in military operations. Russia has previously used dolphins to guard ports and monitor underwater activity.
A BBC report also noted that Iran had purchased dolphins in 2000. However, there is currently no indication that Tehran maintains an active dolphin warfare programme.
