Naval Systems

Iranian small attack boats

Also known as
  • IRGC Navy small boats
  • Iranian fast attack craft
  • Iranian fast inshore attack craft
  • Ashura / Ashoora
  • Tareq
  • Zolfaghar / Peykaap
  • Peykaap / IPS-16
  • Thondor / Houdong
  • Boghammar
  • Seraj-1 / Bladerunner-derived craft
  • Zulfiqar air-defense fast boat

Iranian small attack boats are a mixed Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy fast attack craft and fast inshore attack craft force used for swarm harassment, mine laying, anti-ship missile attack, and littoral sea denial around the Persian Gulf and Strait of Hormuz. The family covers domestically produced speedboats and named classes such as Ashura/Ashoora, Tareq, Zolfaghar/Peykaap, Thondor/Houdong, Boghammar-derived craft, and Bladerunner-derived craft rather than a single standardized design.

Iranian small attack boats, Small attack boat / fast attack craft, Naval Systems
Image source: Iranian IRGC speedboat approaching US vessels (1).jpg

Role in Conflicts

2020 United States-Iran Conflict
Side
Iran
Role in conflict
Small-boat attacks against U.S. warships

2020 United States-Iran Conflict: Iranian small boats were used in attacks against U.S. Navy destroyers during the May 7, 2026 Strait of Hormuz transit, according to CENTCOM.

Known Boat Families

Open sources describe the IRGC Navy small-boat force as a mixed fleet rather than one uniform design. Named families below are the most useful public identifiers for this page.

Family or modelWhat is publicly knownTypical role
Ashura-class speedboat, Fast patrol boat / fast inshore attack craft, Naval SystemsAshura / AshooraRadio Farda reported improved Ashura-class boats among more than 100 craft delivered to the IRGC Navy in 2020; DIA reporting also notes Ashoora boats with mine rails capable of carrying at least one mine.Small-boat swarm, patrol, harassment, and mine laying.
Tareq / Boghammar speedboat, Armed speedboat / fast inshore attack craft, Naval SystemsTareq / BoghammarRadio Farda reported Tareq-class boats in the 2020 IRGC Navy delivery, while open-source naval analysis treats Boghammar/Taregh craft as part of the armed speedboat inventory.Fast armed boat for littoral patrol and swarm operations.
Peykaap / Zolfaghar missile boat, Fast attack craft / missile boat, Naval SystemsZolfaghar / PeykaapRadio Farda names Zolfaghar-class boats in the 2020 delivery. GlobalSecurity lists Peykaap/IPS-16 and Peykaap II/III data, including three crew, roughly 16.3 m length, about 50-52 kt speed, torpedo or missile fits, and Kowsar/TL-10 or Nasr/C-704 missile options on missile variants.Missile or torpedo fast attack craft.
Tondar / Houdong missile boat, Fast attack missile boat, Naval SystemsThondor / HoudongSmall-craft overviews list Thondor/Houdong missile boats as part of Iran's missile-armed fast-attack inventory.Short-range anti-ship missile attack.
Seraj-1 / Bladerunner fast boat, Fast attack craft / high-speed military boat, Naval SystemsSeraj-1 / Bladerunner-derived craftOpen-source naval analysis links some IRGC fast boats to commercial speedboat lineages; Covert Shores identifies a small air-defense fast boat with a hull form apparently derived from the British-designed Bladerunner.High-speed harassment, missile, rocket, or specialized missions.
Zulfiqar air-defense fast boat, Air-defense fast boat, Naval SystemsZulfiqar air-defense fast boatCovert Shores identifies a Bladerunner-derived IRGC Navy fast boat fitted with short-range surface-to-air missiles and associated sensor equipment.Mobile point air defense and escort for distributed littoral forces.
Profile / Specs

Specifications

Fleet type
Mixed IRGC Navy fast attack craft and fast inshore attack craft family
Crew
Often small crews; Peykaap/IPS-16 references list 3 crew
Armament
Machine guns, rockets, mines, torpedoes, and anti-ship cruise missiles depending on class
Representative missile armament
Peykaap missile variants are reported with Kowsar/TL-10 or Nasr/C-704-family anti-ship missiles
Representative torpedo armament
IPS-16/Peykaap references list two 324 mm torpedo tubes on torpedo variants
Representative speed
About 50-52 kt for Peykaap/IPS-16-derived craft in public references
Mine capability
DIA reporting notes Ashoora small boats with mine rails capable of holding at least one mine
Mobility
High-speed, shallow-draft coastal craft suited to short-range littoral operations
Role
Swarm attack, harassment, mine laying, anti-ship missile attack, and sea denial in confined waters
Launched Munitions

Public sources identify different munition fits across the IRGC Navy's small-boat family rather than one standard loadout.

Launched itemItem typeLaunch evidence
Iranian anti-ship missile systems, Anti-ship missile system, MunitionsIranian anti-ship missile systemsAnti-ship missile family

Peykaap missile-boat data lists Kowsar/TL-10 launchers on Peykaap II variants and C-704/Nasr-family guided weapons on Peykaap III/Zolfaghar variants; DIA also describes larger Iranian fast attack craft as usually armed with anti-ship cruise missiles or torpedoes.

Sources: Peykaap Class, Iran Military Power

Carried Mines
Carried itemItem typeCarriage evidence
Iranian naval mines, Naval mine family, MunitionsIranian naval minesNaval mine family

DIA says the IRGC Navy modified small boats to deliver mines rapidly and equipped many Ashoora small boats with mine rails; MEI also describes lower-end Ashura boats as armed with either a rocket launcher or two floating mines.

Sources: Iran Military Power, The IRGC and the Persian Gulf Region

Mounted Guns
Carried itemItem typeCarriage evidence
12.7 mm heavy machine gun, Belt-fed, crew-served heavy machine gun class, Infantry Weapons12.7 mm heavy machine gunHeavy machine gun class

GlobalSecurity lists a 12.7 mm/50 machine gun among the Peykaap III/Zolfaghar weapons, while MEI describes lower-end Ashura boats as armed with a 12.7 mm machine gun.

Sources: Peykaap Class, The IRGC and the Persian Gulf Region

Timeline

Iranian small attack boats Key Events

  1. Tanker War roots

    Iran's small-boat doctrine develops during the Tanker War and later becomes a core asymmetric maritime tactic.

    Sources: Tanker War Small-Boat Attacks, Strait of Hormuz - Small Boats

  2. 2020 IRGC Navy delivery

    Iranian state media reports delivery of 112 new-generation speed boats of different classes to the IRGC Navy in Bandar Abbas.

    Sources: More Than 100 Gunboats Delivered To Revolutionary Guard's Navy, Over 100 domestically built speed boats join Iran's IRGC fleet, Delivery of high-speed vessels built by Iran's Defense Ministry

  3. May 2026 Strait of Hormuz transit

    CENTCOM says Iranian small boats were used against U.S. Navy destroyers during a Strait of Hormuz transit.

    Sources: CENTCOM Protects U.S. Warships Transiting Strait of Hormuz

Media

Iranian small attack boats Videos

Iranian small attack boats Images

Iranian small attack boats, Small attack boat / fast attack craft, Naval Systems - view 1
Source: Fast-attack craft approaching an internationally flagged merchant vessel.jpg
Iranian small attack boats, Small attack boat / fast attack craft, Naval Systems - view 2
Source: IRGC speedboats in January 2023 (2).jpg
Related Weapon Systems
Iranian naval surface vessels, Naval surface vessels, Naval SystemsNaval SystemsIranian naval surface vesselsNaval surface vesselsIranian naval surface vessels in this catalog cover two overlapping fleets: the regular Islamic Republic of Iran Navy's larger frigates, corvettes, and missile boats, and the IRGC Navy's missile boats, patrol craft, fast-attack craft, small boats, and newer missile catamarans. The fleet is usually described as a Strait of Hormuz and Gulf littoral force, combining anti-ship missiles, swarm tactics, boarding pressure, mine-capable boats, and limited larger-combatant presence rather than a peer blue-water surface fleet.
Ashura-class speedboat, Fast patrol boat / fast inshore attack craft, Naval SystemsNaval SystemsAshura-class speedboatFast patrol boat / fast inshore attack craftThe Ashura-class speedboat is a small Iranian fast patrol and fast inshore attack craft family associated with the IRGC Navy's asymmetric small-boat force. Public sources describe the original Ashura/Ashoora boat as a compact glass-reinforced-plastic craft with gun, rocket, troop-carrying, and mine-capable configurations, while later Iranian reporting also applies the Ashura-class label to improved missile-capable boats.
Tareq / Boghammar speedboat, Armed speedboat / fast inshore attack craft, Naval SystemsNaval SystemsTareq / Boghammar speedboatArmed speedboat / fast inshore attack craftThe Tareq or Boghammar speedboat family covers Swedish Boghammar high-speed patrol boats and Iranian-built or Iranian-modified descendants used by the IRGC Navy as lightly armed fast inshore attack craft. The type became prominent during the Tanker War phase of the 1980 Iran-Iraq War, when Revolutionary Guard crews used small armed speedboats for harassment and attacks on shipping, and later remained part of Iran's broader small-boat swarm and coastal-denial force.
Peykaap / Zolfaghar missile boat, Fast attack craft / missile boat, Naval SystemsNaval SystemsPeykaap / Zolfaghar missile boatFast attack craft / missile boatThe Peykaap and Zolfaghar missile-boat family covers North Korean IPS-16-derived Iranian fast attack craft adapted for torpedo or anti-ship missile attack. Official and specialist references place Peykaap I torpedo boats, Peykaap II/Bavar missile boats, and Peykaap III/Zolfaghar missile boats inside the IRGC Navy small-craft inventory, with Kowsar/TL-10, Zafar, and Nasr/C-704-family missile fits on the missile variants. Current Strait of Hormuz reporting discusses IRGCN small-boat swarms and missile threats, but public sources reviewed for this entry did not identify a Peykaap/Zolfaghar hull in a specific 2026 engagement.
Zulfiqar air-defense fast boat, Air-defense fast boat, Naval SystemsNaval SystemsZulfiqar air-defense fast boatAir-defense fast boatThe Zulfiqar air-defense fast boat is an Iranian IRGC Navy small craft configured around short-range surface-to-air missiles rather than the usual gun, rocket, torpedo, or anti-ship missile fit seen on many Iranian fast boats. Iranian reporting said the Zolfaghar high-speed boat joined the IRGC Navy in March 2023 with Nawab air-defense missiles, while Covert Shores assessed the displayed craft as a Bladerunner-derived hull with a radome and vertical-launch missile cells for local air cover around small-boat groups.
Iranian submarines, Diesel-electric submarine force, Naval SystemsNaval SystemsIranian submarinesDiesel-electric submarine forceIranian submarines are the Islamic Republic of Iran Navy's mixed diesel-electric submarine force, combining Russian-built Tareq/Kilo boats with domestically built Fateh, Ghadir, and smaller midget-submarine classes. Centered on Bandar Abbas and the Strait of Hormuz, the fleet supports coastal sea denial, mine warfare, and anti-ship strike; during Operation Epic Fury, CENTCOM listed Iranian Navy ships and submarines among vessels damaged or destroyed.

Related News

Sources

Iran's Naval ForcesPublisher: Office of Naval Intelligence | Note: Supports background and family-level specs for the IRGC Navy's fast attack craft fleet, including swarm and coastal-denial roles. | Accessed: 2026-06-20Iran Military PowerPublisher: Defense Intelligence Agency | Note: Supports IRGC Navy operation of hundreds of fast attack craft and fast inshore attack craft, their growth in lethality, ASCM/torpedo fits on larger craft, and Ashoora mine-rail context. | Accessed: 2026-06-24Iran's Drive to Modernize Navy Faces Latest in String of SetbacksPublisher: USNI News | Note: Supports Iran's homegrown fast attack craft production and the IRGC Navy's domestic buildup of missile boats and related small craft. | Accessed: 2026-06-20More Than 100 Gunboats Delivered To Revolutionary Guard's NavyPublisher: Radio Farda | Note: Supports the 2020 delivery of more than 100 IRGC Navy gunboats and identifies improved Ashura, Tareq, and Zolfaghar class boats manufactured by Iran's Marine Industries Organization and the IRGC Navy. | Accessed: 2026-06-24Strait of Hormuz - Small BoatsPublisher: Strauss Center | Note: Supports background for the IRGC's small-boats fleet, asymmetric maritime use, and typical armament in the Strait of Hormuz. | Accessed: 2026-06-20Tanker War Small-Boat AttacksPublisher: U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command | Note: Supports the Tanker War background for Iranian small-boat attacks on shipping in the 1980s. | Accessed: 2026-06-24Peykaap ClassPublisher: GlobalSecurity.org | Note: Supports public Peykaap/IPS-16 dimensions, crew, speed, torpedo fit, and Peykaap missile-boat armament data. | Accessed: 2026-06-24The IRGC and the Persian Gulf RegionPublisher: Middle East Institute | Note: Supports Zolfaghar boats armed with Zafar/Kowsar anti-ship missiles and Ashura boats armed with a 12.7 mm machine gun, 107 mm rocket launcher, or floating mines. | Accessed: 2026-06-24Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy: A Small Craft OverviewPublisher: The Admiralty Trilogy | Note: Supports model-level small-craft context for Thondor/Houdong, Zolfaghar/Peykaap III, Bavar/Peykaap II, Cougar, Bladerunner/Seraj-1, Boghammar/Taregh, and common machine-gun, rocket, ASCM, and torpedo armament patterns. | Accessed: 2026-06-24Iran Reveals World's First Air Defense Small BoatPublisher: Covert Shores | Note: Supports background on the IRGC Navy's small air-defense fast boat, its short-range surface-to-air missile fit, and Bladerunner-derived hull assessment. | Accessed: 2026-06-24CENTCOM Protects U.S. Warships Transiting Strait of HormuzPublisher: U.S. Central Command | Note: 2020 United States-Iran Conflict: small boats used by Iran against U.S. Navy destroyers during the May 7, 2026 Strait of Hormuz transit. | Accessed: 2026-06-20Over 100 domestically built speed boats join Iran's IRGC fleetPublisher: Mehr News Agency | Note: Supports the 2020 delivery of more than 100 domestically built IRGC speed boats in Bandar Abbas. | Accessed: 2026-06-24Unveiling ceremony of 112 offensive fast boats in southern IranPublisher: Mehr News Agency | Note: Supports the 2020 IRGC Navy unveiling ceremony for 112 offensive fast boats in southern Iran. | Accessed: 2026-06-24Delivery of high-speed vessels built by Iran's Defense MinistryPublisher: IRNA | Note: Supports the 2020 delivery ceremony for high-speed vessels built by Iran's Defense Ministry for the IRGC Navy. | Accessed: 2026-06-24Fast-attack craft approaching an internationally flagged merchant vessel.jpgPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Image provenance and licensing page for the primary Commons image showing Iranian fast-attack craft approaching a merchant vessel. | Accessed: 2026-06-20Iranian IRGC speedboat approaching US vessels (1).jpgPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Image provenance and licensing page for the primary image showing an Iranian IRGC speedboat approaching U.S. vessels. | Accessed: 2026-06-20IRGC speedboats in January 2023 (2).jpgPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Image provenance and licensing page for the article image showing IRGC speedboats operating near Bandar Abbas; Commons lists reviewed reuse terms with attribution to Student News Agency / Mohammad Javad Karimian. | Accessed: 2026-06-24