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<a class="gmail-domain gmail-reader-domain" href="https://www.presstv.co.uk/Detail/2026/05/06/768143/explainer-how-iran-tiny-speedboats-turned-strait-hormuz-us-navy-no-go-zone-us-navy">presstv.co.uk</a>
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<h1 class="gmail-reader-title">Explainer: How Iran\u2019s tiny speedboats turned Strait of Hormuz into US Navy no-go zone</h1>
<div class="gmail-credits gmail-reader-credits">Presstv</div>
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<div class="gmail-reader-estimated-time" dir="ltr">May 8, 2026</div>
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<div class="gmail-moz-reader-content gmail-reader-show-element"><div id="gmail-readability-page-1" class="gmail-page"><div><img src="cid:ii_mox692t70" alt="image.png" width="538" height="299"><br><p><br> <strong>By Yousef Ramazani</strong></p><p><strong>Amid
the fragile ceasefire, Iran\u2019s famed \u201cmosquito fleet\u201d \u2013 a swarm of
small, fast attack boats \u2013 continues to lurk in sea caves along the
Persian Gulf, ready to surge and disrupt any attempt to breach the
Islamic Republic\u2019s maritime control mechanism in the Strait of Hormuz.</strong></p><p>Since
the US-Israeli aggression was halted on April 8, 2026, Iran has
maintained its steadfast posture in the Persian Gulf. The Islamic
Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Navy\u2019s speed boats remain the most
disruptive asymmetric naval force in the world.</p><p>The 40-day war of
aggression launched by the United States and the Zionist regime failed
to break the resolve of a nation that has spent decades perfecting the
art of naval warfare in confined waters. While American officials made
grandiose claims about destroying Iranian naval power, the reality on
the water tells a different story.</p><p>Iran\u2019s speedboats \u2013 hidden in
sea caves along the coast and on islands \u2013 remain fully operational,
radar-evading, and capable of launching devastating missile swarms
against any aggressor, including the US military.</p><p>From the
legendary Ashura-class boats of the Sacred Defense era to the newly
unveiled Heydar-110, which shattered world speed records at 110 knots,
the IRGC Navy has transformed the narrow Strait of Hormuz \u2013 through
which approximately 20 percent of global oil once flowed \u2013 into a
graveyard for the illusions of American naval supremacy.</p><p><strong>Strategic logic of speed: From Tanker War to present day</strong></p><p>The
foundation of Iran\u2019s speedboat doctrine was laid during the most
painful period of the Sacred Defense in the 1980s, when the Iraqi
Baathist regime, backed by the United States and other arrogant powers,
launched the Tanker War in the mid-1980s.</p><p>The objective of that
aggression was to cripple the Islamic Republic\u2019s economy by destroying
commercial vessels carrying goods to and from Iran.</p><p>In the first
year of the war, for every six attacks on Iranian vessels, only one was
answered. But in 1987, with the increased deployment of fast vessels,
Iran created a balance of power, responding to every aggression.</p><p>By 1988, the equation had shifted entirely in Iran\u2019s favor, with every enemy attack met by a decisive Iranian counterattack.</p><p>That
historic experience taught Iranian commanders a timeless lesson: fast
vessels are not only agile and lethal but also cost-effective compared
to gigantic, slow-moving warships.</p><p>Thus, the IRGC Navy\u2019s strategy
was permanently adjusted around high-speed boats, a decision that has
proven prophetic during the recent 40 days of US-Israeli war on
aggression that began on February 28, 2026.</p><p>The ceasefire declared
on April 8, 2026, has not diminished the threat; rather, it has
underscored just how effectively Iran\u2019s asymmetric fleet can choke the
world\u2019s most strategic waterway without ever needing to permanently
close it.</p><p><br> <strong>Heydar-110: The world\u2019s fastest combat vessel</strong></p><p>On
February 27, 2025 \u2013 exactly one year before the latest US-Israeli
aggression against the Islamic Republic of Iran \u2013 the IRGC Navy unveiled
a true game-changer in Bandar Abbas: the Heydar-110 missile-launching
vessel.</p><p>With a top speed of 110 knots (203 kilometers per hour),
this carbon-fiber catamaran is officially the fastest operational
military combat boat on the planet.</p><p>For comparison, the newest
generation of US military fast boats can barely reach 85 kilometers per
hour, while most speedboats worldwide operate between 60 and 120
kilometers per hour.</p><p>The Heydar-110 measures approximately 14
meters in length and 4.3 meters in width. Its lightweight carbon-fiber
twin-hull design provides exceptional stability, even in harsh sea
conditions.</p><p>Despite its compact size, it carries two anti-ship
cruise missiles \u2013 likely from the Nasir or Nasr series, with an
estimated range of 50 kilometers \u2013 along with a heavy machine gun mount
for close engagements.</p><p>Its operational range extends to 350
nautical miles (roughly 650 kilometers), allowing it to strike far
beyond Iran\u2019s immediate coastline.</p><p>The vessel is built with
stealth in mind, featuring a low radar cross-section that makes it
difficult for enemy surveillance systems to detect until it is already
within striking distance.</p><p>During the recent aggression, American
naval forces found themselves unable to effectively counter these
vessels, which emerged from hidden sea caves, launched their missiles,
and vanished back into the labyrinthine coastline before US helicopters
could respond.</p><p><br> <strong>Red wasps: Iran\u2019s diverse fleet of high-speed attack boats</strong></p><p>The
Heydar-110 is far from Iran\u2019s only speedboat asset. The IRGC Navy
operates a diverse arsenal of fast vessels, each designed for specific
tactical roles. Together, they have earned the nickname \u201cred wasps\u201d for
their small size, blinding speed, and deadly sting.</p><p>The Ashura
class, which served valiantly during the Sacred Defense, remains in
service and can reach 90 knots while carrying either a 12.7-millimeter
machine gun or a 107-millimeter 12-barrel rocket launcher.</p><p>The
Seraj class, inspired by racing boat designs, achieves speeds of up to
65 knots and is equipped with lightweight rocket launchers and advanced
electronic navigation systems.</p><p>The Tareq class, unveiled in large
numbers in March 2023, exceeds 90 knots and is optimized for assault
missions, rushing enemy positions from hidden launch points within
minutes.</p><p>For heavier strike capabilities, Iran operates the Tondar
class \u2013 a larger missile boat based on Chinese Houdong-class designs
but substantially upgraded by Iranian engineers.</p><p>Armed with C-802
anti-ship cruise missiles with a range of 120 kilometers, the Tondar
allows the fleet to target aggressor warships from beyond the visual
horizon.</p><p>Perhaps most significantly, the IRGC has pioneered the
use of unmanned surface vessels, with the Ya Mahdi high-speed drone boat
leading the way.</p><p>This composite-hull vessel \u2013 less than 12 meters
long and only 1.5 meters high \u2013 carries three rocket launchers and can
be transformed into a mobile bomb, guided remotely from shore or from
other vessels without endangering Iranian personnel.</p><p>Military
analysts have described these unmanned boats as a \u201cweapon of mass
disruption\u201d rather than mass destruction, capable of saturating American
air defenses through sheer volume.</p><p><br> <strong>Iranian tactics that exposed US naval vulnerability</strong></p><p>During
the 40 days of US-Israeli aggression that began on February 28, 2026,
the IRGC Navy demonstrated the full maturity of its asymmetric doctrine.</p><p>US
officials, including President Donald Trump, made boastful claims about
having "completely obliterated" the majority of the Iranian navy, even
asserting that submarines had been sunk and warships destroyed, with the
rest soon to be floating at the bottom of the sea.</p><p>Iranian media rejected these claims entirely, and the facts on the water proved the American rhetoric hollow.</p><p>The
mosquito fleet continued to operate from cavernous bunkers hidden
beneath mountains and from secret bases on Faror Island, emerging
to disrupt US naval formations at will.</p><p>Analysts estimate that the
IRGC could possess anywhere from hundreds to thousands of small attack
boats, a number so large that even the most intense American airstrikes
could not eliminate them all.</p><p>These speedboats were used to swarm
and open fire on vessels attempting to breach Iran\u2019s blockade of the
strait, launching from multiple directions simultaneously to overwhelm
American surveillance and defensive systems.</p><p>Although the United
States responded with Seahawk helicopter attacks that reportedly
destroyed some Iranian boats, the IRGC\u2019s decentralized command structure
and rapid production capabilities ensured that losses were immediately
replaced.</p></div></div></div>
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