Hegseth: Iran Lacks Kamikaze Dolphins

During a Pentagon briefing on Tuesday, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth addressed reports suggesting Iran might deploy "kamikaze dolphins" equipped with mines against American ships in the Strait of Hormuz, confirming that Iran lacks such capabilities while neither confirming nor denying any U.S. use of the animals.

Hegseth responded to the question by stating, "I can confirm they don't," referring to Iran, before adding, "but I would neither confirm nor deny whether we have kamikaze dolphins." Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Dan Caine, standing alongside him, dismissed the notion with humor, saying, "You mean like sharks with laser beams?"

The exchange stemmed from recent speculation about unconventional Iranian tactics amid ongoing tensions in the Strait of Hormuz, a vital waterway carrying about one-fifth of global oil shipments. Reports indicated Iranian officials had discussed mine-carrying dolphins as a potential counter to U.S. naval efforts, drawing on Iran's 2000 purchase of Soviet-trained dolphins, which experts say are now too old for service. No evidence points to an active Iranian dolphin program.

The U.S. Navy, by contrast, maintains a long-standing Marine...