Iran announces deployment of mini-submarines to control the Strait of Hormuz – media
Kyiv • UNN
Iran has deployed 16 Ghadir-class midget submarines to control the Strait of Hormuz. Despite technical issues, the vessels pose a threat to the supply of 20% of the world's oil.
Iran claims to have deployed small submarines to act as "invisible guardians" of the Strait of Hormuz amid a series of rejected peace deals between Tehran and the US, UNN reports, citing Bloomberg.
According to the International Institute for Strategic Studies, the Islamic Republic possesses at least 16 "Ghadir-class" midget submarines. Each has a crew of fewer than 10 people and can carry either two torpedoes or two Chinese-made C-704 anti-ship cruise missiles.
But they are "noisy" compared to most modern submarines, according to a person familiar with the matter who asked to remain anonymous due to the sensitivity of the issue. Their crews also have limited experience, and the vessels are known to have maintenance problems, the media source said.
Context
Iran has effectively blocked the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic waterway through which about 20% of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas was transported, since the first US and Israeli attack on February 28. Iran's decision to deploy mini-submarines, reported by the semi-official Tasnim news agency, came after US President Donald Trump told Fox News he was considering reviving a plan to use the US military to escort vessels.
Tehran has been able to control the Strait of Hormuz largely through the use or mere threat of missiles and cheap drones, and the so-called midget submarines would likely serve a similar purpose.
One of the challenges to their effective deployment is geography: the depth of the Strait of Hormuz is a maximum of about 100 meters. The Persian Gulf is not much deeper. This makes it difficult for submarines to hide, even when stationary, as active sonar can detect unnatural objects.
According to the Tasnim agency, which is linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, the "Ghadir" is "specifically designed" for the waterway and its shallow depths.
The publication notes that none of the Islamic Republic's submarines have participated in combat during the war, and its only operational full-sized submarine—a Soviet Kilo-class boat—was sunk at the pier where it was moored.
Ghadir submarines are much smaller, with a displacement of only 115 tons of water—the standard metric for submarines. The Kilo, by contrast, has a displacement of over 2,000 tons. US Los Angeles-class nuclear attack submarines displace over 6,000 tons.
Small submarines are typically used for coastal defense because they lack the endurance for long voyages and cannot dive as deep as larger boats. Iranian submarines are developed domestically, with the first official production announcement occurring in 2005.
The "Ghadir" are copies of North Korean designs, the media source said.
The US and Israel have stated that almost the entire Iranian navy has been destroyed, but small boats were reported to have attacked US ships passing through the strait twice over the past week.
US Central Command said it had repelled numerous attacks on them. However, commercial tanker traffic remains largely shut down.