Military dolphins have long been used to detect mines and intruders Last updated: May 06, 2026 | 13:48 In this photo released by the US Navy on March 24, 2003, a trained bottlenose dolphin belonging to Commander Task Unit leaps out of the water on March 18 in front of Sergeant Andrew Garrett while training near the USS Gunston Hall operating in the Arabian Gulf. AFP Washington: US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth on Tuesday dismissed reports that Iran could deploy so-called “kamikaze dolphins” against American naval vessels in the Strait of Hormuz, even as questions about unconventional maritime warfare surfaced during a Pentagon briefing amid escalating Gulf tensions. Asked whether Iran could use trained dolphins to target US ships or naval mines in the strategic waterway, Hegseth said he could “confirm” that Tehran did not possess such capabilities, while jokingly declining to say whether the US itself had similar programmes, according to CNN.…