Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth in a briefing Tuesday shut down the idea that Iran could weaponize marine mammals in the Strait of Hormuz as he fielded a question about the potential use of “kamikaze dolphins” in the war with Iran.

Experts say the idea isn’t as far-fetched as it may seem. Several countries, including the U.S., have a history of using dolphins in conflict areas, though not as weapons.

“I cannot confirm or deny whether we have kamikaze dolphins, but I can confirm they don’t,” Hegseth said at the briefing, using the term for Japanese pilots who deliberately flew their planes into their targets in World War II.

Hegseth’s comments came in response to news reports about the possibility. The Wall Street Journal reported April 30 that Iranian officials had said Iran could use “mine-carrying dolphins” to attack U.S. warships. It is not clear whether Iran has that capability.

The U.S. Navy Office of Information declined to comment further, referring CNBC to Hegseth’s Tuesday briefing.

The Strait of Hormuz has been largely blocked during the war, and on Sunday, President Donald Trump announced “Project Freedom,” an operation to free ships stranded in the strait since the onset of the conflict. Hegseth characterized the new mission as “separate and distinct from Operation Epic Fury,” the administration’s name for the war the U.S. and Israel began on Feb. 28. He said U.S. forces would not need to enter Iranian waters or airspace to carry out the operation.

Fresh attacks this week in the key waterway reignited fears that the impact on the global economy would worsen. Though a ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran officially remains in place, Iran attacked the United Arab Emirates, and the U.S. said it sank Iranian boats in the strait on Monday.

“Right now, the ceasefire certainly holds, but we’re going to be watching very, very closely,” Hegseth said.

Dolphins have a long history of military use

Since 1959, the U.S. Navy’s Marine Mammal Program has trained bottlenose dolphins and California sea lions to detect mines and other underwater threats, conduct surveillance, and locate and recover objects at sea, according to the Naval Information Warfare Center Pacific, a research and engineering laboratory for the U.S. Navy.

“Dolphins have been used in [military] exercises all over the globe,” said Scott Savitz, a senior engineer at global policy think tank Rand Corporation and an expert on mine countermeasures.

During the Vietnam War, the Navy trained dolphins to detect swimmers and divers who were trying to access military facilities, Savitz said. The mammals also played a “key role” in detecting and clearing naval mines from the port of Umm Qasr during the Iraq War in 2003, he said.

Dolphins and sea lions are “exceptional” at detecting underwater objects, Savitz said. Sea lions are commonly used to locate and recover objects in “cluttered” waters due to their excellent underwater eyesight, he said, while dolphins use echolocation, or biosonar, to search for naval mines in open water.

Dolphins’ biosonar is often more accurate than electronic sonar, according to the Naval Information Warfare Center Pacific. They “can not only locate objects, but differentiate them with a greater degree of facility than the machines that we’ve been able to develop for this purpose,” Savitz said.

The Soviet Navy also trained dolphins for defense during the Cold War, though the unit was transferred to Ukraine after the fall of the Soviet Union, according to an NPR report from 2022, citing an analysis from U.S. Naval Institute News. The Russian military reportedly revived its dolphin program after seizing Ukraine’s defense dolphins in 2014 during the annexation of Crimea. In 2022, satellite imagery identified two dolphin pens in the Sevastopol harbor, the analysis found.

The ‘challenge’ of dolphin military efforts

The use of dolphins in military operations raises complex questions, experts say — not just about whether countries such as Iran possess trained marine animals, but whether they have developed the expertise to work effectively with them. 

“It’s a challenge for humans to learn how to work best with dolphin capabilities,” Savitz said. 

The question isn’t “whether or not the Iranians may have physical animals with some training, but whether the Iranians have trained themselves” to work with the dolphins, he said.

Few protections exist for animals in armed conflict although there are some legal strategies based on international humanitarian law that could be used, according to Chris Jenks, a research professor of law at Southern Methodist University.

A representative for the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals referred CNBC to the organization’s general position on military animals. The nonprofit says it “recognizes the value” of animals for military functions but that “animals should not be unnecessarily put at risk or sacrificed in the service of our country.”

“Military animals should be humanely trained and responsibly maintained, and commitment to the animals’ well-being must extend beyond the period of military service,” according to the ASPCA’s site.

Savitz said he has worked with the Navy’s Marine Mammal Program “intermittently” for 25 years. He said that “dolphins and sea lions love the program.”

“They get exercised every day in open waters,” he said. “They like the free fish. They like playing with humans. For them, it’s a game, just as with drug-sniffing dogs or explosive-sniffing dogs.”

Savitz said to his knowledge no marine mammal has been harmed during a military operation. “They are living out healthy lives.”

CNBC

US President Donald Trump posted on social media that the war could soon end, alluding to a single-page memorandum that is currently under Iranian review. The memorandum’s provisions include a moratorium on Iranian uranium enrichment, a lifting of US sanctions and the distribution of frozen Iranian funds and the opening of the Strait of Hormuz for ships. In response to the positive sounding news, Wall Street stocks climbed on Wednesday. Israel’s army chief Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir, meanwhile, is maintaining a harsh line on the country’s row with Hezbollah Follow our live blog for the latest updates.

09:04 PM, 6 May 2026

US stops Iranian-flagged unladen oil tanker 

US forces operating in the Gulf of Oman enforced blockade measures by disabling an Iranian-flagged unladen oil tanker attempting to sail toward an Iranian port at 9am ET, May 6, tweeted US Central Command (CENTCOM).

It reported observing M/T Hasna as it transited international waters enroute to an Iranian port on the Gulf of Oman. American forces issued multiple warnings and informed the Iranian-flagged vessel it was in violation of the US blockade.

After Hasna’s crew failed to comply with repeated warnings, US forces disabled the tanker’s rudder by firing several rounds from the 20mm cannon gun of a US Navy F/A-18 Super Hornet launched from USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72). Hasna is no longer transiting to Iran.

08:18 PM, 6 May 2026

A deal with Iran would require Tehran to send enriched uranium stockpile to US: Trump

US President Donald Trump told PBS News today that the terms of a potential deal with Iran would include Tehran shipping its enriched uranium stockpile to the United States and pledging not to operate its underground facilities, reported CNN.

07:35 PM, 6 May 2026

Iran’s top negotiator says US aiming to force Tehran’s ‘surrender’

Iran’s top negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said Wednesday that Washington was seeking Tehran’s surrender through various means, including a naval blockade.

“The enemy, in its new design, is seeking, through a naval blockade, economic pressure and media manipulation, to destroy the country’s cohesion in order to force us to surrender,” Ghalibaf said in a voice message published on his official Telegram channel.

06:44 PM, 6 May 2026

Iran FM says seeking China’s support for ‘new post-war’ regional framework

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Wednesday that Tehran was looking forward to China’s support for a “new post-war” regional framework following its conflict with the United States.

Reiterating Iran’s trust in China, Araghchi said his country “looks forward to” Beijing “supporting the establishment of a new post-war regional framework that can balance development and security”, in a post on X.

06:14 PM, 6 May 2026

Iran says US proposal to end war ‘under review’: local media

Iran foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said on Wednesday that a US proposal to end the war is still “under review” by Tehran, local media reported.

“The US plan and proposal are still under review by Iran,” Baqaei told ISNA news agency, adding Tehran will convey its views to key mediator Pakistan after “finalising its views”.

US President Donald Trump said earlier Wednesday that he wanted the war to be “at an end”, while vowing more intensive attacks on Iran if it did not agree to conditions.

06:03 PM, 6 May 2026

US stocks jump on hopes of end to Mideast war

Wall Street stocks climbed Wednesday amid market hopes of a potential resolution to the war in Iran after US President Donald Trump said a deal was on the table.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average bounced 0.9 per cent to 49,736.85 minutes after trading started, while the broad-based S&P 500 added 0.8 per cent to 7,314.21.

The tech-focused Nasdaq Composite Index rose 0.8 per cent to 25,535.35.

US news outlet Axios reported that the United States and Iran were close to agreeing on a one-page memorandum of understanding to end the war and set a framework for more detailed nuclear negotiations.

05:57 PM, 6 May 2026

France deploys aircraft carrier to Red Sea

CNN said, quoting France’s defence ministry, the deployment of the Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier to the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden to prepare for a future mission to restore free navigation in the Strait of Hormuz.

The aircraft carrier and its escort vessels will transit the Suez Canal today, en route to the southern Red Sea, the ministry reportedly said.

05:50 PM, 6 May 2026

Israel army chief vows in Lebanon to seize opportunity to dismantle Hezbollah

Israel’s army chief Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir visited troops in southern Lebanon on Wednesday, vowing to dismantle Hezbollah and saying the military was prepared to launch a new offensive against Iran if needed.

“We will seize every opportunity to deepen the dismantling of Hezbollah and continue weakening it,” Zamir told soldiers in the area of the Lebanese town of Khiam.

He added that the military was also “on high alert to return to a powerful and broad operation that will enable us to deepen our achievements and further weaken the Iranian regime”.

05:42 PM, 6 May 2026

Israeli strikes on Lebanon kill 4 despite ceasefire

An Israeli strike in Lebanon’s eastern Bekaa valley killed four people on Wednesday, while the Israeli army said it struck Hezbollah targets in the south, after warning residents of a dozen towns to evacuate.

Israel and Hezbollah have been trading accusations of violating the ceasefire agreement in force since April 17. Hezbollah has claimed responsibility for several operations targeting Israeli forces in southern Lebanon, as well as attacks on northern Israel.

An Israeli airstrike on the town of Zellaya, in the West Bekaa region, left at least four people dead, including two women and an elderly man, the health ministry said.

Lebanese state media said the attack struck the house of the town’s mayor, killing him and three members of his family.

04:57 PM, 6 May 2026

Iran reacts to pause of Project Freedom

CNN, quoting Iranian media, reported that safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz is possible under “new procedures” following the pausing of a short-lived US military operation in the waterway, the Revolutionary Guards’ Navy said on Wednesday.

This appears to be Iran’s first reaction to Washington suspending “Project Freedom”. The US launched the mission on Sunday but halted it on Tuesday, citing progress in peace talks.

04:06 PM, 6 May 2026

Trump threatens ‘higher level’ bombing Iran if deal not agreed

US President Donald Trump threatened Wednesday to restart bombing on Iran if it does not agree to a deal to end the war.

“If they don’t agree, the bombing starts, and it will be, sadly, at a much higher level and intensity than it was before,” Trump said in a social media post.

03:54 PM, 6 May 2026

Commodity ship transits in Hormuz hit lowest level since start of war

Commodity ship traffic through the Strait of Hormuz fell this week to its lowest level since the beginning of the war despite a brief US attempt to reopen the strategic waterway, according to data from marine analytics firm Kpler.

Kpler, which tracks only commodity-carrying vessels, recorded just one transit on Monday and none on Tuesday, the fewest seen since the start of the war triggered by a wave of US-Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28.

Around 120 vessels transit the strait daily in peacetime, according to maritime news outlet Lloyd’s List.

Before the war, the strait handled roughly one-fifth of global hydrocarbon exports, alongside other key commodities.

But traffic has been hammered by Iran’s chokehold on the strait – which was imposed at the start of the war and has allowed only limited passage – as well as a retaliatory US blockade of Iranian ports.

The Nooh Gas, the only commodity vessel to transit the strait on Monday, was carrying 11,357 tons of Iranian liquefied petroleum gas.

The cargo was transferred ship-to-ship from the Tania Star off Dubai on May 1, and its final destination remains unknown.

The Tania Star had loaded the cargo at the Iranian port terminal of Bandar Mahshahr on April 25.

US President Donald Trump on Tuesday announced the suspension of “Project Freedom” – a military operation launched on Monday to free vessels stranded in the strait.

Washington said that two US-flagged merchant vessels had successfully crossed the strait, a claim denied by Tehran.

03:30 PM, 6 May 2026

China steps up Iran war diplomacy days before Trump’s summit with Xi

China’s diplomatic role in the Iran war has come into sharper focus following talks between Chinese and Iranian foreign ministers on Wednesday, days before US President Donald Trump is expected to meet his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping.

Beijing’s profile in international diplomacy has risen in recent years. Long reluctant to get involved in conflicts far from its borders, it has nevertheless emerged as a major player with attempts to mediate conflicts from Southeast Asia to Europe.

Beijing is not an official mediator in the Iran war, but all parties – including Washington and Tehran – say it has played an important role in efforts to de-escalate the conflict. The Trump administration is pressing China to use its influence with Iran to open the Strait of Hormuz.

During Wednesday’s meeting with Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi in Beijing, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi called for a “comprehensive ceasefire,” saying his country is deeply distressed by the war.

“The international community shares a common concern for restoring normal and safe passage through the Strait, and China hopes the relevant parties will respond as quickly as possible to the strong calls from the international community,” China’s official news agency Xinhua quoted him as saying.

03:07 PM, 6 May 2026

Brent oil price drops under $100 on US-Iran deal hopes

Oil prices dived on Wednesday, with international benchmark Brent sliding under $100 a barrel, on fresh hopes for an end to the Middle East war.

Brent North Sea crude slumped 9.3 per cent to $99.64 a barrel, while the main US oil contract, West Texas Intermediate, plunged 10.7 per cent to $91.33.

Washington believes it is close to reaching an agreement with Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and end the war, according to US news outlet Axios.

02:51 PM, 6 May 2026

Israeli strike kills 4 in east Lebanon: health ministry

An Israeli strike in Lebanon’s eastern Bekaa valley on Wednesday killed four people, Lebanon’s health ministry said, with local media reporting the attack took place before the Israeli army issued a warning to evacuate the area along with 11 other towns.

“An Israeli enemy raid on the town of Zellaya in West Bekaa resulted in four martyrs, including two women and an elderly man,” the ministry said.

Lebanese state media said the attack struck the house of the town’s mayor, killing him and three members of his family.

02:41 PM, 6 May 2026

Israel army says striking Hezbollah targets across Lebanon

Israel’s army said Wednesday it had begun striking Hezbollah infrastructure in several areas of Lebanon, despite a truce with the neighbouring country intended to halt fighting with the Iran-backed militant group.

“The IDF has begun striking Hezbollah terror infrastructure sites in several areas in Lebanon,” a military statement said.

It came shortly after the army reported “several incidents” during which drones exploded near Israeli soldiers operating in Lebanon’s south. The strikes also follow a new Israeli evacuation warning for a dozen villages in south Lebanon issued earlier on Wednesday.

01:46 PM, 6 May 2026

Washington believes close to deal with Iran: Axios

Washington believes it is close to reaching an agreement with Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and end the war, US news outlet Axios reported Wednesday, citing two US officials.

According to Axios, the two sides are close to agreeing on a “one-page memorandum of understanding to end the war and set a framework for more detailed nuclear negotiations.”

It said the deal would involve Iran committing to a moratorium on nuclear enrichment and the United States agreeing to release billions of dollars of frozen Iranian funds.

Washington is reportedly awaiting a response from Tehran on several key points in the next 48 hours.

“Nothing has been agreed yet, but the sources said this was the closest the parties had been to an agreement since the war began,” Axios said.

01:16 PM, 6 May 2026

Pakistan PM ‘hopeful’ current momentum will bring Mideast peace

Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif – a key mediator in the war between the Iran and the United States and Israel – said Wednesday he was “hopeful” the current momentum on negotiations would lead to peace in the Middle East.

“We are very hopeful that the current momentum will lead to a lasting agreement that secures durable peace and stability for the region and beyond,” he said in a post on X.

01:07 PM, 6 May 2026

Oil prices tumble over 5% on Mideast peace hopes

Oil prices plunged on Wednesday on fresh hopes of the United States and Iran reaching a peace deal to end the Middle East war.

International benchmark Brent North Sea crude dived 6.2 percent to $103.04 per barrel.

The main US contract West Texas Intermediate slid 6.4 percent to $95.68 per barrel.

12:17 PM, 6 May 2026

China calls for ‘complete’ and immediate cessation of hostilities in Middle East

China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi called Wednesday for an end to hostilities in the Middle East and for the United States and Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz “as soon as possible”, during talks with his Iranian counterpart.

“China considers that a complete cessation of fighting must be achieved without delay, that it is even more unacceptable to restart hostilities, and that continuing to negotiate remains essential,” he said, according to a statement from his ministry after the talks with Abbas Araghchi in Beijing.

GN

 US President Donald Trump has abruptly paused “Project Freedom” — a newly launched American operation aimed at helping commercial ships stranded by Iran’s closure of the Strait of Hormuz — after rising fears the mission could spiral into a wider military confrontation with Tehran.

The operation, announced only days earlier, had been presented by Trump as a “humanitarian gesture” designed to help thousands of trapped sailors and restore shipping through one of the world’s most important energy chokepoints.

But almost immediately after the mission began, tensions escalated sharply.

Iran’s military said it fired at US warships entering the strait, while US Central Command, or CENTCOM, said Iranian missiles, drones and small boats targeted American naval vessels and US-flagged commercial ships.

Within 48 hours, Trump announced the operation would be paused “for a short period of time” to test whether diplomacy could produce a breakthrough with Iran.

What was Project Freedom?

Project Freedom was launched after Iran effectively blocked traffic through the Strait of Hormuz following the US-Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28.

The narrow waterway handles roughly 20% of global oil and liquefied natural gas shipments, making it one of the most strategically important maritime routes in the world.

According to the US military, around 22,500 mariners aboard 1,550 commercial vessels were stranded in the Gulf as shipping companies hesitated to risk passage through the increasingly dangerous corridor.

CENTCOM said the operation involved:

• Guided-missile destroyers
• More than 100 aircraft
• Unmanned surveillance systems
• Around 15,000 US personnel

The mission’s aim was to help restore commercial transit and reassure shipping companies that vessels could move through Hormuz safely.

One of the biggest uncertainties, however, was whether the US Navy would physically escort ships through the strait — a move many analysts feared could trigger direct clashes with Iran.

Why did Trump pause it?

The operation quickly ran into military and political complications.

Iran warned it would attack US forces entering the strait without Tehran’s approval and insisted ships must use “regime-approved routes.”

CENTCOM later confirmed that Iran fired cruise missiles toward US naval forces and commercial ships, although it denied Iranian claims that a US warship had been struck.

The United Arab Emirates also said an ADNOC-linked tanker was targeted by drones while transiting Hormuz, highlighting how rapidly the situation was deteriorating.

Experts say the growing risk of escalation likely forced Trump to reconsider.

Ali Vaez of the International Crisis Group told the BBC that Iran’s aggressive response showed the operation was “not going to solve the problem” and risked “dragging” Trump back into war.

Trump also appears eager to avoid a prolonged conflict ahead of politically sensitive midterm elections, especially as energy prices and shipping costs continue rising globally.

The pause reportedly followed signs of “great progress” in indirect talks between Washington and Tehran, with Pakistan acting as a mediator.

Did the operation work?

Only partially.

CENTCOM said two US-flagged commercial ships successfully passed through Hormuz with American naval support. Shipping giant Maersk also confirmed one of its vessels exited the Gulf accompanied by the US military.

But major uncertainty remains.

Shipping companies and insurers are still wary of sending vessels through the strait amid fears of missile, drone or small-boat attacks.

Industry groups also criticised the lack of detailed coordination for the operation, saying commercial operators were left unclear about how protection would work in practice.

Is the US still pressuring Iran?

Yes.

Even though Project Freedom has been paused, the US continues enforcing a separate naval blockade targeting Iranian ports and vessels accused of supporting Tehran’s oil trade.

US military officials say dozens of ships have already been redirected under the blockade operation, which remains active despite the pause in escort efforts through Hormuz.

GN