Iran is sending bombers to the critical waters of Hormuz

Iran is sending boats packed with explosives to camouflage wooden fishing vessels in the Strait of Hormuz, a defense expert has warned – a move that points to a new phase of naval warfare along some of the world’s most important shipping lanes.

Cameron Chell, CEO of drone technology company Dragonfly, spoke after the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) confirmed that a Marshall Islands-flagged oil tanker was hit on March 1 by an unmanned Iranian vehicle north of Muscat, Oman.

“UKMTO has confirmed that the vessel has been attacked by an uncrewed surface vehicle (USV), and that the crew has been moved ashore,” UKMTO said in its threat assessment.

Reports also indicated that two more oil tankers were hit on March 11 by remote-controlled explosive boats in the Gulf, as Iran intensified attacks on foreign vessels following the start of US Operation Epic Fury against the regime on February 28.

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The use of so-called “suicide smugglers” represents an increasingly asymmetric threat on the narrow, 21-mile-wide road, Chell warned, while highlighting the technological capabilities behind the attack.

“The Iranians may have used radio remote control, line of sight, frequency hopping, or encrypted radio communication between the skiffs and the coast of Hormuz,” Chell told Fox News Digital.

“These can be crowded and tracked, but when there are 50 of these boats, it becomes difficult to try to find them all along the coast or to find a 20-meter wooden fishing boat loaded with explosives.

“They can have one person controlling a bunch of 10 boats,” he said before explaining how “it’s possible to have autonomy where they can have 10 boats that can operate with a large degree of autonomy, because they are pre-programmed.”

“The boats would be used to raid the trees and explode,” Chell explained.

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Iranian and Russian navies simulate the rescue of a hijacked ship during a joint exercise at the Port of Bandar Abbas in Hormozgan, Iran, on Feb. 19, 2026. (Iranian Army/Handout/Anadolu via Getty Images)

Chell’s comments follow a March 12 Reuters report that six ships were attacked in the Gulf and Strait of Hormuz.

Sources said Iran had also planted a dozen mines, complicating efforts to keep any traffic off the vital waterway.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told Sky News on Thursday that the U.S. Navy, possibly with an international coalition, would escort the ships if militarily possible.

The Secretary of Defense in the UK John Healey also said that discussions are continuing with his European colleagues emphasizing the global economy that is compatible with the strait. Chell, however, questioned the current readiness of the defense.

“The drone defense fleet the US Navy couldn’t have set up to take out these suicidal people,” Chell said.

“The U.S. will be using manned aircraft to take them out, which is great for taking out a large target, but less effective for taking out 50 boats at once, 25 or 30 meters in size, loaded with explosives.

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A screenshot of the maritime traffic terminal showing ships in the Strait of Hormuz on March 4, 2026. (Kpler/Marine Traffic)

“Given the situation of the Strait, it will require a lot of surveillance and it will require a full surveillance, to respond quickly to any activity that happens,” he said.

With Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei vowing to keep the Strait closed as leverage against the US and Israel, oil prices continue to rise, and Chell also highlights Iran’s territorial advantage.

“The structure of the Straits lends itself very well to the smuggling of suicide bombers, unmanned vehicles or USVs,” he warned before explaining how the area “pays for this low-cost, automated, asymmetric war.”

“The Iranians can disguise themselves as fishing boats and they can be anywhere from 12 to 30 feet and the boat can be described in any way,” Chell said.

“These skiffs are equipped with basic remote control capabilities that may or may not use GPS waypoints or remote control.”

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“The skiffs are not independent, because the distance across the strait is very short, and it is very low in this waterway, the communication signal can be carried for a long time through the line of sight,” he added.

“They can have hundreds at the same time because they are not very expensive to defend,” said Chell.