A Ghadir-class submarine is seen during its commissioning ceremony in November 2018. The Ghadir-class submarines are small and lack some modern design features, but are useful for hit-and-run operations in the Strait of Hormuz. (Fars News/Alireza Bahari)

Is the Ghadir-Class Submarine Iran’s Ace Card in the Strait of Hormuz?

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The tiny submarines are well-suited to operations in the Strait of Hormuz, where the shallow waters and heavy maritime traffic make them nearly impossible to spot with sonar.

President Donald Trump and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth have repeatedly made the claim that the Iranian Navy has been destroyed. However, according to open-source intelligence, the Islamic Republic may still have a potentially deadly weapon in its arsenal, namely its Ghadir-class diesel-electric submarines, which it could deploy in the Strait of Hormuz.

The 150-ton midget submarines—of which Tehran may have as many as 23—are based on a North Korean design specifically for use in shallow littoral waters. Named for the early gathering of Muslims delivered by the Prophet Mohammad, the boats are no match for........

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