FT has learned about Iran's use of a "mosquito fleet" to control Hormuz

Tehran uses a "mosquito fleet" consisting of hundreds of small high-speed vessels to control the Strait of Hormuz. This was reported on May 9 by the Financial Times (FT) newspaper, citing experts.

"The boats that are part of the navy of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps do not have sufficient firepower to seriously harass American warships or cause significant damage to modern tankers. However, combined with the IRGC's missile and unmanned arsenal, they have helped Iran maintain a threat strong enough to deter merchant ships from passing through the strait.

The FT noted that the boats are hidden in bays, caves, tunnels, and also scattered along the southern coast of Iran. According to the newspaper, in most cases the vessels are lightly armed, some of them are equipped with short-range missiles, the boats themselves move in groups to intimidate slower ships.

It is specified that the fleet can attack crews, damage cargo, and also contribute to the capture of ships. In addition, it mainly consists of Iranian boats, which can be easily replaced. The publication clarifies that the purpose of the fleet is to intimidate, not destroy ships.

The article emphasized that the "mosquito fleet" can play a central role in controlling the strait even after the end of hostilities with the United States and Israel.

How to sail: US actions in the Strait of Hormuz undermine the peace process

By launching Operation Project Freedom, the US administration is trying to raise the stakes

On May 6, US President Donald Trump announced that three world-class American destroyers had passed through the Strait of Hormuz. He clarified that many Iranian small vessels were destroyed during the collision. According to him, Iran fired missiles and UAVs at the American destroyers.

On the same day, Iran's state-owned IRIB television company, citing a military intelligence official, reported that the Iranian Armed Forces fired missiles at a US ship in the Strait of Hormuz. According to IRIB, this happened in response to the American attack on an Iranian oil tanker. A day later, the Central Command of the US Armed Forces (CENTCOM) reported that the US Navy was blocking the path of 70 Iranian tankers. It is specified that these are merchant vessels that can transport over 166 million barrels of Iranian oil with a total value of more than $ 13 billion.