Secretary of War Pete Hegseth gave an eyebrow-raising answer when pressed on whether the US has a fleet of deadly aquatic animals. Recent reports have suggested that Iran is turning to marine mammals to fight against US forces in the Strait of Hormuz as the conflict continues.
'Iranian officials said Tehran could use previously unused weapons to attack U.S. warships, from submarines to mine-carrying dolphins,' a Wall Street Journal report from last week stated. Hegseth was asked to 'clarify' reports of Iran's use of 'kamikaze dolphins' during a Pentagon press briefing on Tuesday.
The question about the use of 'deadly' marine mammals stunned Hegseth and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs General Dan Caine. A smirking Caine responded, 'I haven't heard the kamikaze dolphin thing. It's kind of like sharks with laser beams,' he added, referencing the Austin Powers movie series. Then Hegseth answered, grinning: 'I can't confirm or deny whether we have kamikaze dolphins, but I can confirm they [Iran] don't.'
The odd response prompted speculation about the US's fielding of military marine life online, though some quickly discovered the Pentagon has a long-reported history of using dolphins for military purposes. Since 1959, the U.S. Navy has trained dolphins and sea lions as teammates for our Sailors and Marines to help guard against similar threats underwater, the Naval Information Warfare Center's website states. It trains dolphins and sea lions to detect items of military interest and perform reconnaissance in oceans and harbors.
As the US-Iran ceasefire holds despite some small skirmishes, and the US blockade on the Strait of Hormuz continues to stress the Islamic Republic, officials are considering the use of demolition dolphins. Though Iran has not stated it is fielding the animals as a deterrent against US forces, the country does have a history of acquiring war-fighting marine life.
Iran purchased at least four Soviet-trained combat dolphins in 2000, according to a BBC report from the time. 'The animals were trained to attack enemy frogmen with harpoons attached to their backs, or to drag them to the surface to be taken into captivity,' the article states. 'They could also undertake kamikaze strikes against enemy shipping carrying mines that would explode a ship on contact with its hull,' it continues. The Strait of Hormuz also has several native species of dolphins that could potentially be trained for military use.
The Consulate General of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Hyderabad, India, joked about the reports, posting an AI-generated meme of dolphins at war. 'They've finally spilled the beans, it's all out now,' the consulate's X account wrote in response to a New York Post report.
