Are military dolphins working in the Strait of Hormuz? Probably not, but they have been part of the US Navy for decades
US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth was asked if Iran might use dolphins to confront the US Navy in the Strait of Hormuz, but he confirmed Iran doesn't have deployable dolphins. The US Navy has a decades-old program training dolphins to detect mines, but they're not used in active combat environments.
The US Navy has a Marine Mammal Program that trains dolphins to detect underwater objects, including mines. The program, established in 1959, uses bottlenose dolphins and California sea lions to detect and recover objects. Dolphins are trained to search for and mark mine locations, helping human divers find and disable them. During a detection mission, a dolphin travels with 2-3 handlers in a small boat, indicating finds by tapping a paddle. The US isn't using dolphins in the Strait of Hormuz, where tensions with Iran are escalating. Iran purchased dolphins in 2000, but they're likely too old to be used today, and there's no indication of an active Iranian dolphin program.
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