TBM Report
Amid soaring regional tensions and a naval blockade, the Iranian Navy has deployed indigenous light submarines to the strategic Strait of Hormuz. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy has officially designated these submersibles as the “Dolphins of the Persian Gulf.” Rear Admiral Shahram Irani, Commander of the Iranian Navy, confirmed on Sunday (May 10, 2026) that the deployment was necessitated by current security threats and operational requirements.
According to Admiral Irani, these light submarines are capable of remaining submerged for extended periods, providing stealth capabilities to detect and neutralize enemy vessels. The deployment was showcased during a recent naval exercise dedicated to the martyrs of the “Dena Destroyer,” where the submarines briefly surfaced to demonstrate Iran’s maritime defense prowess before returning to the depths of the strait to continue their mission.
This military escalation follows a series of high-intensity conflicts that began on February 28, when a joint US-Israeli strike targeted Iran, resulting in the deaths of several high-ranking officials. The conflict reached a tipping point when a missile strike on a primary school in Minab killed 168 students, an act Tehran labeled a war crime. In retaliation, Iran conducted nearly 100 strikes on US and Israeli bases over 39 days. While a fragile ceasefire was brokered by Pakistan on April 8, diplomatic progress stalled, leading Iran to impose a naval blockade in the Hormuz region on April 13.
Data from the Iranian Legal Medicine Organization reveals the heavy toll of the conflict, with 3,380 fatalities recorded between February 28 and April 10. This includes 2,875 men and 496 women, alongside the tragic loss of 26 medical personnel. Despite President Trump’s efforts to extend the ceasefire, the deployment of the “Dolphin” submarines underscores Iran’s resolve to maintain a dominant presence in one of the world’s most vital oil transit corridors
 Navy has officially designated these submersibles as the "Dolphins of the Persian Gulf." Rear Admiral Shahram Irani, Commander of the Iranian Navy, confirmed on Sunday (May 10, 2026) that the deployment was necessitated by current security threats and operational requirements.){kind=link}