Posted on 03/03/2026 11:30:47 AM PST by Retain Mike
According to CENTCOM, the Iranian naval presence in the Gulf of Oman has been denied, stating that none of the 11 warships stationed east of the Strait of Hormuz before the beginning of hostilities remained in the area within the first 48 hours of Epic Fury. In the weeks leading up to the current conflict, Iranian naval forces trained alongside Chinese and Russian warships in Marine Security Belt 2026 near the Chabahar, which was also struck by U.S. forces.
The U.S. command also said the strikes have targeted Iran’s small submarine fleet, composed of numerous midget submarines and a handful of Russian Kilo-class attack boats. While it is unclear how severely the strikes impacted Tehran’s subsurface capability, several submarines were present at Bandar Abbas following an attack, according to satellite photos.
Iran has flaunted this asymmetric naval force of missile, midget submarines, naval mines and anti-ship missile batteries in its threats to shut down the Strait of Hormuz in previous years. American naval forces in the region have been geared against these swarm threats, including Hellfire-armed Seahawk helicopters aboard Abraham Lincoln. Littoral combat ships forward deployed to U.S. 5th Fleet also have the potential to equip a surface warfare mission package designed to defeat small boat and drone attacks.
Despite strikes on key regular and sectarian Iranian naval assets, the commander of the IRGC declared Monday that the country’s forces would enforce a closure of the Strait of Hormuz – threatening to open fire on any vessels attempting to transit the strategic waterway crucial to the world’s natural gas and oil network. Over the last several decades, the Iranians have built a vast inventory of sea mines designed to block the flow of crude from the Gulf States for export.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.usni.org ...
“ blowing the bottom out of a loaded crude oil tanker would create an environmental disaster and close the straits.”
And if that doesn’t work they’ll goto the Sadam playbook and destroy the land based oil fields.
I just hope one isn't quietly laying in wait to take a shot at one of our carriers.
In all this, it’s important to note that a closure by mines of the Strait of Hormuz KILLS most of the flow of money to Iran’s rulers, and it zots a major source of oil to China. ~90% of Iran’s oil exports were going to China. The Chinese might send minesweepers themselves...
Like the Japs in WWII, Muslims will kamikaze. So those midget subs can be a threat to shipping, even our naval assets.
I do hope our people can understand the parallel between the War Faction of Imperial Japan and the Muslims ruling Iran. Even after two atomic bombs they would not relent. Hirohito stepped outside his role as a constitutional monarch to decree as the god/king that the war would end. I doubt there is anyone in Iran to issue a similar decree.
Strongest what?
16 midget submarines, 19 patrol craft, 9 patrol boats, 4 fast patrol boats, and 34 smaller water craft... 27 amphibious watercraft, 17 logistics and supply craft.
That's it. That's all they have now.
We sank the IRIS Dena, their main Frigate.
We sank the IRIS catamaran corvette, the Shahid Sayyad Shirazi.
We sank at least one Kilo class submarine so far.
We sank the IRIS Markan, literally an oil tanker that was converted into a floating office (a forward base ship).
When 2026 began, they had 4 Frigates and 3 Corvettes, and nothing larger. They had 3 Kilo class subs, but we know that one is already gone. (Kilos were Russian subs that were considered noisy back in the 80s. They were designed in the 70s, and basically were out of date in the 90s.)
We have sunk about 20 ships so far, so the minor watercraft are about all they have left.
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