Report: Iranian speedboat network poses challenge to US Navy operations
The Financial Times has reported the growing role of Iran’s so-called “mosquito fleet”, a network of fast attack boats operated by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps that has become a central part of Tehran’s strategy in confronting the United States in the Gulf.
According to the report, the small vessels are designed to rapidly pressure commercial shipping and naval forces in and around the Strait of Hormuz, a vital global energy corridor.
The newspaper reported that hundreds of Iranian speedboats are concealed in caves, tunnels and coastal inlets along Iran’s southern coastline, ready for quick deployment towards the Strait of Hormuz.
Analysts quoted in the report said the fleet allows Iran to challenge larger naval forces through swarm tactics and threaten global oil and gas flows during periods of heightened tension and conflict in the region.
Iranian Revolutionary Guards receive 110 high-speed combat vessels during a ceremony in Bandar Abbas, 28 May 2020 (Zuma via Reuters)