Iranian small boats have harassed and even interfered with US Navy ships, private commercial vessels and other platforms in the well-known and narrowly configured Strait of Hormuz, a scenario which has presented a persistent and difficult threat to shipping lanes and US national security concerns in the region.

Given this, the Pentagon’s decision to send a larger amount of US Navy assets to the region is by no means surprising as Iranian small boats have proven to be a credible and potentially lethal threat.

The tactical concept is to simply blanket or overwhelm a larger surface ship with multiple points and angles of attack so as to confuse and overwhelm deck-mounted guns and ship defenses. Explosive packed small boats or those armed with shoulder-fired missiles could be in position to exact a substantial toll on larger warships, while of course easily intimidating or interfering with commercial vessels.

The threat has been periodic, yet quite significant and lethal, often venturing beyond mere provocation into direct, overt hostility and offensive military interference. US Central Command reports that threatening Iranian boats have twice been deterred by the presence of US Navy warships. This is quite significant as, according to a Pentagon report, Iranian vessels actually “fired upon” a Bahamian-flagged oil tanker.

“The Bahamian-flagged oil tanker Richmond Voyager was approached by an Iranian naval vessel. That Iranian naval vessel got within one mile of the tanker and fired on it using small arms and crew-served weapons. As happened with the TRF Moss, the Iranian vessel left when the USS McFaul (destroyer) arrived on the scene,” a Pentagon report states.

These recent occurrences are by no means isolated instances, as Centcom reports that Iran has seized at least 20 vessels since 2021.

Source: Center for Military Modernization