War in Iran: in the Strait of Hormuz, the fantasies surrounding the presence of kamikaze dolphins

The French navy regularly uses Airbus Dauphin helicopters, transported by the French aircraft carrier Charles-de-Gaulle. In the Strait of Hormuz, Iran may be using kamikaze dolphins. These new weapons have no blades but instead rely on animals trained by the Iranian army. According to a report in the Washington Post, Iranian officials stated they could use “previously unused weapons to attack American warships, from submarines to mine-bearing dolphins.”

While this may seem surprising, it is no laughing matter for the US military, as Pete Hegseth confirmed the Iranians are indeed employing these animals. However, the US Defense Secretary decided not to “confirm or deny if we have kamikaze dolphins.” This has turned into a psychological battle between the two adversaries, with no confirmation of trained dolphins being present since the conflict began. Additionally, a source close to the US military told CNN that the US military does not use them.

A beluga whale named Hvaldimir has been in the spotlight. The hypothesis that both armies are using these marine mammals as weapons is not far-fetched. Since the late 1950s, the US Navy has had an animal training program, involving sharks, sea turtles, and seabirds. Today, based at Point Loma Naval Base in California, the program primarily focuses on dolphins and sea lions, trained to “locate underwater mines” and “apprehend unauthorized swimmers and divers.”

Not exclusively American, the use of marine animals in wartime extends to Russia, where in 2022, the Russian military deployed trained dolphins in Sevastopol, Crimea, to safeguard a naval base. This is a measure to prevent Ukrainian infiltrators from sabotaging ships. Russia is known to use similar animals in the Arctic, including belugas. In 2019, one beluga named Hvaldimir captured public attention as it approached a Norwegian boat, but was found dead on August 31, 2024, under unclear circumstances.

Despite the military proximity to Russia, Iran purchased dolphins in the 2000s, but there is no evidence of current use, as the Iranian military lacks an active and effective program compared to Russia and the US. Currently, the use of these marine animals remains at the threat stage.

While dolphins were deployed in Iraq in 2003, it was after the fighting ceased and they were used to detect mines near the port of Umm Qasr. Even with a temporary ceasefire agreement between the two countries, tensions remain high in the Strait of Hormuz, and combat could resume at any time, preventing the use of marine mammals. Resorting to “kamikaze dolphins” would violate this agreement, as stated by Pete Hegseth last April.