Iran07 May, 20262 min read
Pete Hegseth Denies Iran’s ‘Kamikaze Dolphins’ After Pentagon Briefing Question
This article is an automated aggregation of coverage from news outlets. Our editorials offer in-depth analysis curated by the NewsCord team.
Iran does not have kamikaze dolphins, according to Hegseth at the briefing. Hegseth cannot confirm or deny whether the U.S. has kamikaze dolphins.
Fox News was read line by line by the Watchdog: 5.2. See the score →
Pentagon briefing sparks claim
As US-Iran tensions escalated around the Strait of Hormuz, a journalist at a Pentagon briefing asked whether Tehran could deploy “kamikaze dolphins” against US warships, according to France 24. The question drew on a Wall Street Journal report published last week that said Iran could use “previously unused weapons to attack US warships, from submarines to mine-carrying dolphins.”
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth denied that Iran had such capability, while refusing to “confirm or deny” whether the US does, France 24 reported. Fox News also said Hegseth told reporters, “I can’t confirm or deny whether we have kamikaze dolphins, but I can confirm they don’t,” referring to Iran.
Hegseth and Caine reactions
At the same Pentagon briefing, Gen. Dan Caine responded to the “kamikaze dolphin” question by saying, “I haven't heard the kamikaze dolphin thing,” according to Fox 5 San Diego & KUSI News. Caine then added, “It’s like sharks with laser beams,” a reference to “Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery,” the outlet reported.
Gulf News described Hegseth as saying he could “confirm” that Tehran did not possess such capabilities while jokingly declining to say whether the US itself had similar programmes. CNN also quoted a source familiar with US operations in the Strait of Hormuz saying the American military “isn’t using dolphins as part of its efforts in the Strait,” while noting the US Navy has a decades-old program to train dolphins to detect mines.
What’s at stake next
The “kamikaze dolphins” discussion resurfaced alongside questions about unconventional maritime warfare as Washington continues naval operations aimed at protecting commercial shipping routes through the Strait of Hormuz, Gulf News reported. France 24 said the idea of marine mammals being used in conflict has a long history, including references to Soviet dolphin training and reports that Russia deployed trained dolphins in 2018 to aid in the Syrian civil war and its invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Fox News framed the debate as a response to a Wall Street Journal report that said Iranian officials have at least discussed reviving a Cold War-era program involving trained dolphins capable of carrying mines toward enemy ships. In the background of the briefing, Gulf News said the Strait of Hormuz remains a sensitive chokepoint handling a significant share of global oil and LNG shipments, while both sides accused each other of violations even as a fragile ceasefire technically remained in place.