Nov 5, 2026 · 22 min · 11 segments
In this episode of The President’s Daily Brief: - \- First up, Iran is adapting its military strategy in the Strait of Hormuz, using underwater drones, naval mines, and explosives attached to tankers…
Mike BakerHost
Iran is changing the way that it fights in the Strait of Hormuz, turning more and more to guerrilla-style attacks against commercial shipping as American forces continue to patrol the waterway and maintain a blockade of Iranian ports.
According to a new investigation by the Wall Street Journal, Tehran is increasingly relying on explosive underwater drones, naval mines, and small attack boats to threaten tankers and disrupt oil exports.
On the 29th of October, a small boat approached an oil tanker traveling through the strait, roughly 25 nautical miles northeast of the Omani port of Kassab.
The attackers attached two explosive devices to the vessel's hull just above the waterline.
The explosives detonated, igniting a fire in the engine room and temporarily disabling the ship.
The vessel, identified by maritime security sources as the Panama-flagged Luis I, survived the attack.
The crew escaped injury, firefighters extinguished the blaze, and the tanker eventually continued its voyage.
But regional officials and security analysts say it reflects a broader Iranian campaign that's become increasingly aggressive in recent weeks.
Iranian forces are also using small boats armed with rocket-propelled grenades and teams capable of attaching limpet mines directly to ships.
Now, limpet mines are explosive charges designed to stick to a vessel's hull, typically using magnets.
They're relatively inexpensive, can be deployed from small boats, and can cause substantial damage, of course, without requiring a conventional naval engagement.
Iran has used small boat attacks and limpet mines many times in the past, including during confrontations with commercial shipping back in 2019.
U.S. forces have attacked warships, coastal defenses, missile positions, and other infrastructure used by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, the IRGC, to threaten shipping.
Last week, Admiral Brad Cooper, commander of U.S. Central Command, CENTCOM, described just how much the balance of power has shifted.
After flying over the Strait of Hormuz, Cooper said he observed commercial vessels and American military assets operating throughout the waterway, but he said there was something missing.
Iran is changing the way that it fights in the Strait of Hormuz, turning more and more to guerrilla-style attacks against commercial shipping as American forces continue to patrol the waterway and maintain a blockade of Iranian ports.
According to a new investigation by the Wall Street Journal, Tehran is increasingly relying on explosive underwater drones, naval mines, and small attack boats to threaten tankers and disrupt oil exports.
On the 29th of October, a small boat approached an oil tanker traveling through the strait, roughly 25 nautical miles northeast of the Omani port of Kassab.
The attackers attached two explosive devices to the vessel's hull just above the waterline.
The explosives detonated, igniting a fire in the engine room and temporarily disabling the ship.
The vessel, identified by maritime security sources as the Panama-flagged Luis I, survived the attack.
The crew escaped injury, firefighters extinguished the blaze, and the tanker eventually continued its voyage.
But regional officials and security analysts say it reflects a broader Iranian campaign that's become increasingly aggressive in recent weeks.
Iranian forces are also using small boats armed with rocket-propelled grenades and teams capable of attaching limpet mines directly to ships.
Now, limpet mines are explosive charges designed to stick to a vessel's hull, typically using magnets.
They're relatively inexpensive, can be deployed from small boats, and can cause substantial damage, of course, without requiring a conventional naval engagement.
Iran has used small boat attacks and limpet mines many times in the past, including during confrontations with commercial shipping back in 2019.
U.S. forces have attacked warships, coastal defenses, missile positions, and other infrastructure used by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, the IRGC, to threaten shipping.
Last week, Admiral Brad Cooper, commander of U.S. Central Command, CENTCOM, described just how much the balance of power has shifted.
After flying over the Strait of Hormuz, Cooper said he observed commercial vessels and American military assets operating throughout the waterway, but he said there was something missing.
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