Hegseth denies Iran has ‘kamikaze dolphins’ — but suggests US might
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth denied claims that Iran uses trained dolphins with explosives in the Strait of Hormuz, while neither confirming nor denying whether the U.S. possesses such capabilities. He described current marine mammal programs as involving 'low-level kinetics' and emphasized Iran does not have 'kamikaze dolphins.' Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Dan Caine dismissed the idea as far-fetched, comparing it to a fictional movie plot.
- ▪Secretary of War Pete Hegseth denied that Iran has kamikaze dolphins.
- ▪Hegseth would neither confirm nor deny whether the U.S. has trained dolphins armed with explosives.
- ▪The U.S. Navy has an established program training marine mammals for military operations.
- ▪Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Dan Caine compared the idea of weaponized dolphins to sharks with laser beams from the movie 'Austin Powers.'
- ▪Hegseth stated that current marine mammal capabilities involve 'low-level kinetics.'
Opening excerpt (first ~120 words) tap to expand
Politics Hegseth denies Iran has ‘kamikaze dolphins’ — but suggests US might By Caitlin Doornbos Published May 5, 2026, 10:08 a.m. ET Secretary of War Pete Hegseth on Tuesday rejected rumors that Iran is using trained dolphins armed with explosives to block the Strait of Hormuz — but left the public wondering whether the US might have such a fantastical capability. Follow The Post’s live coverage of President Trump and national politics for the latest news and analysis The United States Navy has been training marine mammals for years. Getty Images “It’s still pretty low-level kinetics at this point in time, and I can’t confirm or deny whether we have kamikaze dolphins — but I can confirm they don’t,” he said. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Dan Caine chuckled at the notion.
…
Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at New York Post.
Discussion
0 commentsMore from New York Post
