Iran Deploys Ghadir-Class Mini-Subs as Invisible Guardians of Strait of Hormuz

Iran has deployed small submarines to serve as an "invisible guardian" of the Strait of Hormuz following a series of rejected peace deals between Tehran and the United States, reports said.

The claim surfaced as analysts noted that the Iranian Ghadir-class mini-subs could threaten U.S. naval forces, though their limited range, firepower and endurance would reduce any strategic impact.

Bloomberg highlighted the deployment, which Tasnim News Agency first reported. Rear Admiral Shahram Irani, commander of Iran's navy, said his forces sent out the light submarines, called the "dolphins of the Persian Gulf," according to Iranian state media.

Tehran also seeks to strengthen control over the strait by defining it as a much larger zone, Reuters reported.

"Time would be limited, probably a couple of days at the most," defense analyst Tom Shugart, a retired U.S. Navy submarine warfare officer, told Fox News Digital.

He pointed to fundamental operational limits on the small diesel-electric submarines. "If they run their diesel engines to snorkel and recharge batteries, that could generate sound that could be detected," Shugart said. "Their snorkel mast projecting from the water could be detected by radars on patrol aircraft or helicopters."

The submarines suit shallow waters like the Strait of Hormuz and can run quietly for short periods on battery power. "While they may be able to sit on the bottom for a while and operate somewhat quietly on their batteries for a while, they have no air-independent propulsion system like more modern diesel-electric submarines," Shugart said. They will eventually have to surface and snorkel, making them more vulnerable to detection and destruction.

The IRGC Navy operates all Ghadir-class submarines in the Southern Fleet. "Any remaining Ghadirs, if they exist and are actually deployed, may be able to lay mines and may be able to threaten merchant ships," Shugart warned. "But I don't see them as a serious threat to U.S. Navy warships — and certainly not to U.S. submarines."

"But I can say for sure that I wouldn't want to go out on one in the current environment."

The U.S. Navy confirmed on May 10 that an Ohio-class nuclear-armed submarine had reached Gibraltar. "The port visit demonstrates U.S. capability, flexibility and continuing commitment to its NATO allies," U.S. Sixth Fleet Public Affairs said. "Ohio-class ballistic missile submarines are undetectable launch platforms for submarine-launched ballistic missiles, providing the U.S. with its most survivable leg of the nuclear triad."

The Strait of Hormuz remains effectively closed, with commercial tanker traffic choked off by military activity and a U.S. blockade of Iranian ports. The United Arab Emirates and South Korea reported strikes on stranded vessels Wednesday, while the IRGC stepped up fast-attack craft operations.

President Donald Trump has said Iran's navy is "completely obliterated."

The Pentagon did not immediately respond to a Fox News Digital request for comment.