U.S. Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth addresses recent claims that Iran deploys “kamikaze dolphins” in the Strait of Hormuz. Multiple outlets report that Hegseth dismisses the idea that Iran has such attack-capable dolphins, including remarks made during a Pentagon briefing in which he denies Iran’s possession. However, he also does not provide a definitive answer about whether the United States uses dolphins with combat capabilities. Several sources say Hegseth either refused to confirm or deny U.S. use, or indicated he could not speak to the question. The Hill reports that while both Hegseth and Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Dan Caine deny that Iran has “kamikaze dolphins,” Hegseth does not rule out that the U.S. military may have them. Other reporting similarly notes that Hegseth leaves the status of any U.S. programme unclear when asked. Separate articles also reference that the U.S. Navy has a long-running dolphin-training effort, commonly described as focused on roles such as mine-hunting and protecting vessels, but the specific “kamikaze” characterization remains unconfirmed by Hegseth in his comments.