The U.S. has dealt a blow to Iran's conventional navy, but a new report from The Wall Street Journal says Tehran's most dangerous maritime threat in the Strait of Hormuz remains largely intact.
According to the Journal, the paramilitary Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps — not Iran's navy — operates the smaller, faster vessels used to control the strategic waterway.
These boats are designed for missile strikes, mine-laying, and harassment of commercial shipping, making them more difficult to eliminate.
Farzin Nadimi, an Iran-focused senior fellow at the Washington Institute, told the Journal that more than 60% of the Revolutionary Guard's fast-attack craft and speedboat fleet is still operational, continuing to pose a threat to global shipping.
Despite heavy U.S. strikes that have sunk more than 155 Iranian vessels, much of the damage has been concentrated on Iran's larger navy ships — many of which served more symbolic or long-range roles.
Meanwhile, the smaller IRGC fleet remains dispersed, mobile, and harder to target.
"Their asymmetrical strategy is working," David Des Roches, a former Pentagon official, told the Journal.
Iran has already demonstrated its ability to disrupt traffic.
The Journal reported that Tehran has attacked more than two dozen commercial ships and warned vessels they must seek permission from the Revolutionary Guard to pass through the strait. Traffic has slowed dramatically, with only a handful of ships crossing during the first day of a temporary ceasefire.
Iran has also warned of possible antiship mines in key shipping lanes and directed vessels to follow alternative routes closer to its coastline — a move seen as a sign it may have mined parts of the waterway.
While the U.S. Navy has begun challenging Iran's control — including sending guided-missile destroyers through the strait — experts say the threat from smaller boats remains significant. These vessels can operate from hidden coastal bases and underground facilities, making them difficult to track and destroy.
"It will be a long time before the U.S. can take all those out," said Chris Long, a former British naval official.
The Journal noted that Iran has also expanded its tactics, deploying waterborne drones in attacks on commercial vessels, further complicating efforts to secure one of the world's most critical oil chokepoints.
© 2026 Newsmax. All rights reserved.