The rhetoric around the Strait of Hormuz has sharply escalated after US President Donald Trump announced a naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz following the collapse of peace talks in Islamabad. The blockade,
which came into force on Monday, April 13, is aimed at choking Iran’s oil exports and forcing it to reopen the crucial waterway.
But it’s Trump’s warning about a specific class of Iranian vessels that has drawn attention. In a strongly worded message, he said, “If any of these ships come anywhere close to our blockade, they will be immediately eliminated.”
He was referring to what Iran calls its “fast attack ships”. These are small, but potentially disruptive naval assets that the US believes could challenge its blockade. Trump even downplayed them initially, saying they were not earlier targeted because they were not seen as a major threat, a calculation that now appears to be changing.
What Are Iran’s ‘Fast Attack Ships’?
Despite the name, these are not large warships. They are small, high-speed boats used primarily by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy (IRGCN).
Some well-known types include:
Tondar-class missile boats
These are among the heaviest-armed fast attack craft in Iran’s fleet. Based on Chinese Houdong-class designs, these boats are about 38–40 metres in length and run at a speed of 30–35 knots (55–65 km/h). They can carry C-802 anti-ship cruise missiles, with a range of 120 km, and also naval guns and machine guns. Unlike smaller speedboats, Tondar-class vessels can strike from a distance using guided missiles, making them a serious threat to larger ships and tankers.
Peykaap-class (and Peykaap II) speedboats
These are compact, mass-produced attack boats built for swarm tactics. Their length is 17 metres and they can run at the speed of 50 knots (90+ km/h). These boats caarry lightweight anti-ship missiles, rockets or heavy machine guns. What sets them apart is that they are small, fast, and numerous, designed to operate in groups and overwhelm enemy defences.
Seraj-class high-speed boats
These are among the fastest in Iran’s arsenal, and are often compared to high-performance racing boats. Inspired by British racing boats (like Bladerunner models), these boats can run at the speed of up to 55–60 knots (100–110 km/h). They are equipped with machine guns, rocket launchers, and possible short-range missiles. They run at extreme speed and agility, allowing rapid approach and retreat in hit-and-run missions.
Zolfaghar-class fast attack craft
This is a newer, more advanced category combining speed with stealth features, and speed of 60+ knots (110 km/h and above). They have a reduced radar signature and the ability to launch anti-ship missiles. They also have night operation capability. These boats are designed to be harder to detect while maintaining high strike capability.
Explosive and drone boats
Iran has also developed unmanned or remotely piloted boats. Their speeds vary, but are often very high. They usually carry explosives for suicide missions. They are usually used for ramming enemy vessels, and targeting commercial shipping. These boats are low-cost but high-impact, similar in concept to naval “kamikaze” drones.
What Can They Do?
Across these classes, a few common features stand out. These boats typically touch speeds of about 50–60 knots (90–110 km/h), far faster than most large warships. They can operate close to coastlines and in narrow waters. They are harder to detect and track and can carry armaments ranging from machine guns to cruise missiles. They are designed to operate in large numbers.
This mix of speed, numbers, and varied firepower is what makes Iran’s fast attack fleet unique, and why, despite their small size, they are taken seriously in a potential Hormuz confrontation.
On their own, a single fast attack boat is not a match for a US warship. But that’s not how Iran intends to use them.
These boats operate in large groups, often dozens at a time, approaching from multiple directions. The goal is to overwhelm a bigger ship’s defenses. They can fire anti-ship missiles, launch rockets, drop naval mines, retreat quickly before retaliation and have hybrid warfare tools.
Some of these boats are used for harassing commercial tankers, escorting or intercepting ships, and acting as suicide or drone boats. This style of warfare is often called asymmetric naval warfare, using unconventional tactics to offset a weaker conventional navy.
Why Are They Dangerous?
What makes these vessels concerning is not their firepower alone, but how they are used.
- Numbers over size: Iran can deploy dozens or even hundreds of such boats, creating confusion and pressure on advanced naval systems.
- Speed and unpredictability: Many of these can travel at extremely high speeds, making them difficult to track and intercept in time.
- Low cost, high impact: They are far cheaper than US warships — meaning Iran can afford losses while still posing a threat.
- Blurred lines: Some of these high speed boats resemble civilian boats, complicating identification in crowded waters.
This is why, even after claiming to have “obliterated” much of Iran’s conventional navy, the US still sees these vessels as a lingering risk.
Why These Fast-Attack Boats Matter In Strait Of Hormuz
The geography of the Strait of Hormuz is what makes these boats particularly relevant. The strait is narrow and congested Nearly 20 per cent of global oil supply passes through it. Large warships have limited room to manoeuvre. This environment plays directly to the strengths of fast attack boats.
They can hug the coastline and hide in inlets, blend into commercial traffic, and launch sudden attacks on tankers or naval vessels.
Iran has already used similar tactics in past confrontations, and in the current crisis, it has threatened to respond strongly to any foreign military presence near the strait.
