Iran state television aired video showing tunnels filled with explosive drone boats that Iran says could be used to target shipping in the strategic Gulf chokepoint.
BY PC Bureau
New Delhi, March 13 — Iran has showcased what it claims is a vast underground arsenal of naval drones and anti-ship weapons designed to target vessels in the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz, signaling its growing readiness to disrupt global shipping routes amid the escalating regional conflict.
Iranian state television aired footage purportedly filmed inside a heavily fortified underground complex described by officials as a “missile city.” The video shows long tunnels packed with unmanned surface vessels, anti-ship missiles and naval mines, forming what authorities portrayed as a large “kamikaze fleet” intended for maritime warfare.
Some clips also appear to show weapons being launched from inside the facility, though it remains unclear when the footage was recorded or whether the site has since been targeted by US or Israeli strikes.
One image from the broadcast shows a naval drone mounted on a trailer inside the tunnel network beneath a large portrait of Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei.
Iranian military officials say the suicide drone boats are now being deployed as part of efforts to restrict maritime movement through the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most important energy shipping corridors.
The drones, also known as unmanned surface vehicles (USVs), travel on or just below the waterline and are packed with explosives designed to detonate on impact with a target vessel.
Iran published footage of underground tunnels stocked with naval drones, anti-ship missiles, and sea mines. Reuters reported, citing US officials, that Iran has mined the Strait of Hormuz with dozens of sea mines. #Iran pic.twitter.com/Kcwp5UqkXq
— NOELREPORTS 🇪🇺 🇺🇦 (@NOELreports) March 11, 2026
Maritime authorities say similar drones have already been used in recent attacks on commercial shipping in the Persian Gulf.
On March 1, the Marshall Islands-registered crude oil tanker MKD VYOM was struck about 44 nautical miles off the coast of Oman. Britain’s United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations reported that an unmanned surface vessel hit the ship just above the waterline, triggering an explosion and a fire in the engine room that killed one crew member.
A few days later, another crude tanker, Sonangol Namibe, flying the Bahamas flag, was struck while anchored near Khor al Zubair. The vessel’s operator said all 23 crew members survived, though investigations into the attack are ongoing.
READ: India-Bound LPG Tanker Passes Through Strait of Hormuz
Video circulating online showed a small speedboat-like craft racing toward the tanker before slamming into its hull and exploding, sending a column of smoke into the sky.
Naval drones have been involved in at least two attacks on oil tankers since the conflict between the United States, Israel and Iran intensified, according to maritime security agencies.
The tactic mirrors the growing use of similar explosive boats in modern warfare, including attacks by Houthi movement on shipping in the Red Sea and by Ukrainian forces against Russian naval targets in the Black Sea.
Iran has repeatedly warned that it could halt oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz — a chokepoint through which roughly one-fifth of the world’s oil supply normally passes.
Iranian officials have also warned that if the conflict continues to escalate, global oil prices could surge dramatically, potentially reaching $200 per barrel as attacks on commercial shipping intensify and traffic through the narrow waterway slows.
