As per Tasnim News Agency, Navy Commander Rear Admiral Shahram Irani said the vessels, locally referred to as the “Dolphins of the Persian Gulf”, have been positioned on the seabed of the strategic waterway.
He said the Ghadir-class midget submarines are designed for “bottom-resting”, a stealth tactic that allows them to remain submerged and stationary for extended periods to monitor and, if necessary, intercept hostile warships.
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The deployment comes amid heightened regional tensions and what Tehran describes as an “illegal naval blockade” by Western forces. The submarines are tailored for operations in the shallow and congested waters of the Strait, making detection by conventional anti-submarine systems difficult.
Irani added that the fleet recently carried out formation manoeuvres before resuming surveillance missions. The Strait of Hormuz remains the world’s most critical oil transit route, with around 20% of global petroleum flows passing through it, and the deployment underscores Iran’s focus on asymmetric sea-denial capabilities to deter foreign intervention.
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