Iran deploys explosive ‘suicide skiffs’ disguised as fishing boats in Strait of Hormuz

Iran is deploying explosive-laden drone boats disguised arsenic woody sportfishing vessels successful the Strait of Hormuz, a defence adept has warned — a determination that signals a caller signifier of hybrid maritime warfare successful 1 of the world’s astir captious shipping lanes.

Cameron Chell, CEO of drone exertion steadfast Draganfly, spoke aft the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) confirmed that a Marshall Islands–flagged lipid tanker was struck March 1 by an Iranian unmanned aboveground conveyance northbound of Muscat, Oman.

"UKMTO has received confirmation that the vas was attacked by an uncrewed aboveground conveyance (USV), and that the unit has been evacuated to shore," UKMTO said successful a menace assessment.

Reports besides indicated that 2 further lipid tankers were deed March 11 by remote-controlled explosive boats successful the Gulf, arsenic Iran intensified attacks connected overseas vessels pursuing the commencement of the U.S. Operation Epic Fury against the authorities connected Feb. 28.

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Persian Gulf shipping dips arsenic Trump positions subject against Iran. ( Morteza Nikoubazl/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

The usage of alleged "suicide skiffs" represents a increasing asymmetric menace successful the narrow, 21-mile-wide Strait, Chell warned, portion highlighting the technological capabilities down these attacks.

"The Iranians astir apt person usage of vigor distant control, enactment of sight, frequence hopping, oregon encrypted vigor connection betwixt the skiffs and the Hormuz shoreline," Chell told Fox News Digital.

"These tin beryllium jammed and tracked, but erstwhile there's 50 of these boats, it's hard to effort to find them each on this shoreline oregon to find a 20-foot woody sportfishing vessel that is laden with explosives.

"They tin person 1 idiosyncratic controlling a swarm of 10 boats," helium said earlier describing however determination "could besides beryllium autonomous swarming wherever they mightiness person 10 boats that tin enactment with a ample level of independence, due to the fact that they're pre-programmed."

"The boats would beryllium utilized to ram into targets and explode," Chell clarified.

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Naval units from Iran and Russia simulate the rescue of a hijacked vas during associated drills astatine the Port of Bandar Abbas successful Hormozgan, Iran, connected Feb. 19, 2026. (Iranian Army/Handout/Anadolu via Getty Images)

Chell’s comments followed a March 12 Reuters study stating that six vessels had been attacked successful the Gulf and Strait of Hormuz. 

Sources said that Iran had besides deployed astir a twelve mines, complicating efforts to support immoderate postulation done the captious waterway.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told Sky News Thursday that the U.S. Navy, perchance alongside an planetary coalition, would escort ships erstwhile militarily feasible.

U.K. Defense Secretary John Healey besides said discussions were underway with European counterparts stressing the planetary economical stakes tied to the strait. Chell, however, questioned existent antiaircraft readiness.

"The drone defence fleets that the U.S. Navy would not person been acceptable up to instrumentality these termination skiffs out," Chell said.

"The U.S. would beryllium utilizing manned craft successful bid to instrumentality them out, which are fantastic astatine taking retired a ample target, but inefficient successful taking retired 50 boats astatine 1 clip that are an mean of 25 oregon 30 feet successful size, laden with explosives.

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A screenshot of a marine postulation terminal showing vessels successful the Strait of Hormuz connected March 4, 2026. (Kpler/Marine Traffic)

"Given the Strait's geography, it would necessitate patrolling by galore craft and would necessitate pervasive surveillance implicit the area, a accelerated effect to immoderate enactment that's happening," helium said.

As Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei vowed to support the Strait closed arsenic leverage against the U.S. and Israel, lipid prices proceed to surge, with Chell besides highlighting the geographic vantage Iran holds.

"The geographic layout of the Strait lends itself precise good to comparatively unsophisticated termination skiffs, unmanned aboveground vehicles oregon USVs," helium warned earlier describing however the country "lends itself to this low-cost, automatic, asymmetric warfare."

"The Iranians tin disguise them arsenic sportfishing boats and tin beryllium anyplace from 12 to 30 feet and a vessel could beryllium of immoderate description," Chell said.

"These skiffs are equipped with basal distant power capabilities that whitethorn oregon whitethorn not beryllium utilizing GPS waypoints oregon manual distant control."

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"The skiffs are not autonomous, due to the fact that the region crossed the Strait is truthful short, and it's precise level crossed this waterway, the connection awesome could beryllium carried for rather immoderate clip via a enactment of sight," helium added.

"They could virtually person hundreds retired determination astatine a clip due to the fact that they're besides truthful inexpensive to support against," Chell said.