During a Pentagon press briefing on Tuesday, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth denied reports that Iran possesses 'kamikaze dolphins,' according to coverage from HuffPost, CBS News, and CNBC. The question about weaponized marine mammals was raised by Daily Wire reporter Mary Margaret Olohan, citing a Wall Street Journal report that Iranian officials had mentioned the possibility of using mine-carrying dolphins in the Strait of Hormuz.
Key Takeaways
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth denied reports that Iran possesses 'kamikaze dolphins' during a Pentagon press briefing. The question about weaponized marine mammals was raised by Daily Wire reporter Mary Margaret Olohan, citing a Wall Street Journal report. Hegseth also discussed Project Freedom, an operation to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and guide commercial ships through a cleared path amid concerns over Iranian mines.
Hegseth responded to the query with humor, comparing it to 'sharks with laser beams,' but confirmed that Iran does not have such capabilities. He also declined to confirm or deny whether the U.S. has similar weaponized marine mammals. The discussion came amidst broader talks about the ongoing conflict in the Strait of Hormuz and efforts to reopen the critical waterway for commercial shipping.
The Pentagon is directing commercial ships towards a route farther from Iran that the Navy has spent weeks clearing, according to CBS News. This effort, part of 'Project Freedom,' aims to guide ships through a cleared path in the strait amid concerns over mines laid by Iran. Hegseth characterized Project Freedom as a 'defensive operation' separate from Operation Epic Fury, the U.S. and Israel's ongoing bombing campaign against Iran.
The Wall Street Journal initially reported on April 30 that Iranian officials had said Tehran could use previously unused weapons to attack U.S. warships, including mine-carrying dolphins. However, experts note that while several countries, including the U.S., have a history of using dolphins in conflict areas for tasks like detecting mines and conducting surveillance, there is no clear evidence that Iran has weaponized marine mammals.
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