<div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/usa" rel="" target="" title="US Defence Secretary"><span>US Defence Secretary</span></a><span> has denied reports that Iran could use </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/maroubra-beach-sydney-dolphins-hunting-salmon-shallow-waters-video-photography-marine-wildlife-news/5fef9a0c-4356-47ad-93d0-ac649fb62cdc" rel="" target="" title="mine-carrying dolphins"><span>mine-carrying dolphins</span></a><span> to attack US warships.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>But in a bizarre press conference exchange, </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/pete-hegseth-suspicious-trades-blackrock-defence-stocks-pentagon-secretary-of-war-denial/31095d1a-7d6e-479b-96f8-e087a3a92de8" rel="" target="" title="Pete Hegseth"><span>Pete Hegseth</span></a><span> was deliberately oblique about whether the US Navy itself had "kamikaze dolphins".</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Hegseth was asked to comment on reports from the </span><em><span>Wall Street Journal</span></em><span> about Iran's unconventional methods to wage war - including mine-carrying dolphins.</span></div></div><div><div id="adspot-mobile-medium"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/donald-trump-cognitive-test-montreal-aced-usa-politics-news/beafa9e2-b8dc-44e5-8f9f-07142f2124b6"><strong><span>'Not a test of IQ': Doctor who designed cognitive test addresses Trump's boasts</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"I cannot confirm or deny whether we have kamikaze dolphins, but I can confirm they don't," Hegseth said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The Defence Secretary was speaking with a straight face but appeared to be being droll.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>At the same press conference, General Dan Caine made a wry remark.</span></div></div><div><div class="OUTBRAIN" data-reactroot="" data-src="//www.9news.com.au/world/kamikaze-dolphins-pete-hegseth-defence-secretary-iran-war-latest-updates/6053a592-c690-45c1-96d3-13aa255cc56e" data-widget-id="AR_5"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"It's like sharks with laser beams," he said with a smile.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Caine said Iran's current military actions were </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/us-israel-iran-war-live-updates-may-5-donald-trump-latest-world-news-headlines/65a1ee30-d4c9-4059-ad31-aee74fa879b7" rel="" target="" title='"low level kinetics"'><span>"low level kinetics"</span></a><span>.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Global navies including the US have long utilised dolphins for underwater tasks for which human technology is ill-suited.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>That includes identifying sea mines and other submerged objects.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>But using dolphins as suicide weapons has no historical precedent.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/louisiana-election-suspended-redraw-districts-white-black-supreme-court-voting-rights-act/ce7d3f84-3277-4be5-8613-53ed911cccf8"><strong><span>US elections suspended so government can redraw the district lines</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>However, in World War II, the Soviet military trained dogs equipped with explosives to run underneath German tanks.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The program was suspended after too many Soviet vehicles were destroyed by mistake.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Earlier today, </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/donald-trump" rel="" target="" title="Donald Trump"><span>Donald Trump</span></a><span> announced a suspension of Project Freedom, effectively </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/us-israel-iran-war-us-military-rejects-claims-iran-struck-us-navy-vessel/2a11da57-1c4c-4b7d-a37e-e7aa01e8b803" rel="" target="" title="closing the Strait of Hormuz"><span>closing the Strait of Hormuz</span></a><span> again.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The strategy had been announced two days earlier.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Meanwhile, think tank the Institute for the Study of War has concluded that the ceasefire has allowed Iran to rebuild its damaged military forces.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"The ceasefire has likely enabled Iran to rapidly recoup the operational setbacks that it has suffered," a report from the think tank read.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"Iran will likely be able to launch relatively more missiles more effectively in the days after the resumption of fighting. </span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"As fighting resumes, this increase should be understood as a result of the operational pause during the ceasefire rather than a broader failure of the campaign."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The war between the US and Iran is now in its eleventh week.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/donald-trump-ballroom-billion-dollars-taxpayer-funding-usa-world-news/c22cc5b9-ef27-4b94-bd5e-9b1a8c4b311e"><strong><span>A billion in taxpayer money set aside for Trump's ballroom project</span></strong></a><span></span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><em><span>NEVER MISS A STORY:</span></em></strong><span> </span><em><span>Get your breaking news and exclusive stories first by following us across all platforms.</span></em></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><ul><li><strong><em><span>Download the 9NEWS App here via</span></em></strong><span> </span><a href="https://apps.apple.com/au/app/9news/id1010533727" target="_blank"><strong><em><span>Apple</span></em></strong></a><span> </span><strong><em><span>and</span></em></strong><span> </span><a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=nineNewsAlerts.nine.com&amp;hl=en_AU&amp;pli=1" target="_blank"><strong><em><span>Google Play</span></em></strong></a></li><li><strong><em><span>Make 9News your preferred source on Google by</span></em></strong><span> </span><a href="https://9.nine.com.au/8x987w" target="_blank"><strong><em><span>ticking this box here</span></em></strong></a></li><li><strong><em><span>Sign up to</span></em></strong><span> </span><a href="https://login.nine.com.au/edm?client_id=nineatnine" target="_blank"><strong><em><span>our breaking newsletter here</span></em></strong></a></li></ul></div></div>