Report: Iran Claims Subs 'Can Easily Target' U.S. Carriers in Persian Gulf

Would Iran make the first move against the U.S. and fire torpedoes at the U.S. Fleet?

Possibly. And if it did, according to a report citing a senior Iranian military commander's announcement today, the Islamic Republic could choose to ambush the American fleet with submarines.

Rear Admiral Farhad Amiri -- who is also the Lieutenant Commander of the Iranian Army's Self-Sufficiency Jihad -- told Iran's state news agency Fars that their navy has the best electric diesel submarines in the world. Amiri cautioned that while the U.S. has focused on Tehran's "astonishing surface capabilities," it has neglected to consider what could be the more dangerous undersea threat.

Amiri also told Fars that “When the submarine lies on the sea bed, it can easily target an aircraft carrier that is passing nearby...that is one of the US concerns since Iranian submarines are noiseless and can easily evade detection as they are equipped with the sonar-evading technology."

The opening paragraph of the Fars story didn't parse any words:

A senior Iranian military commander underlined that the Iranian Navy's subsurface vessels enjoy a high capability to confront enemies' threats, and stated that Iran's submarines are able to ambush and hit enemy vessels specially US Aircraft carriers from the seabed throughout the Persian Gulf.

Iran officially states that it has 17 Ghadir diesel electric subs in its fleet, according to Business Insider. Despite the overwhelming superiority of the U.S. military, the Iranian threat to vessels and oil shipments in the Persian Gulf is real, particularly in a sneak attack scenario.

Earlier this month Iran threatened the U.S. Fifth Fleet with attack after the John C. Stennis passed through the Strait of Hormuz. Iranian Army Commander Major General Ataollah Salehi said  "We advise, warn and recommend [the U.S. Navy] not to return this carrier to its previous location in the Persian Gulf."

"We are not in the habit of repeating the warning and we warn only once," Salehi said.

Whether this is pure bluster from Iran or a threat with teeth behind it remains to be seen.

(h/t Business Insider)