By The South Asia Times

TEHRAN - As the US-Israeli war on Iran enters its second week, a largely unseen weapon has emerged as a potential game-changer in the conflict's naval theater: Iran's advanced "Ajdar" (Azhdar) high-speed torpedo, an underwater missile that could threaten American dominance in the strategic waters of the Persian Gulf.

The recent sinking of the Iranian warship IRIS Dena by a US submarine torpedo in the Indian Ocean has brought renewed focus to underwater warfare capabilities. While that attack demonstrated American technological superiority, Iran possesses its own asymmetric naval assets designed to counter precisely such threats.

- What is the Ajdar Torpedo?

The "Ajdar" (meaning "dragon" in Farsi) is an advanced high-speed torpedo developed by Iran's naval forces and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy. Designed for deployment in the shallow waters of the Persian Gulf and the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz, the Ajdar represents Iran's answer to American naval superiority.

Unlike conventional torpedoes that may rely on straightforward propulsion, Iranian systems like the Ajdar are believed to incorporate advanced guidance technologies and high-speed capabilities that make them difficult to counter. While specific technical specifications remain classified, Iranian military announcements have consistently emphasized the weapon's ability to strike surface targets with precision and speed.

The Strait of Hormuz, through which approximately 20% of the world's oil passes, is the critical chokepoint where Iran's naval strategy focuses. The waterway's narrow width and shallow depth create an environment where sophisticated American warships become vulnerable to smaller, faster, and harder-to-detect threats.

Iran has long invested in what military strategists call "anti-access/area denial" (A2/AD) capabilities — weapons designed not to defeat the US Navy in a traditional fleet engagement, but to make American entry into the Persian Gulf prohibitively costly. The Ajdar torpedo is a cornerstone of this strategy.

A European military source specializing in submarines explained that a torpedo detonates a few meters below a vessel, creating "a huge air bubble that lifts the vessel and breaks its main beam in two when it comes back down". This mechanism makes torpedoes particularly devastating, regardless of whether they are fired by American or Iranian platforms.

- How Ajdar could challenge US ships

The US Navy has acknowledged that China's next-generation submarines "challenge the US Navy's longstanding undersea dominance".

Iran's torpedo program, while less sophisticated, leverages different advantages: knowledge of local waters, integration with shore-based systems, and the ability to launch from small, difficult-to-detect platforms.

If deployed effectively, Ajdar torpedoes could:

• Threaten US surface vessels operating in the confined waters of the Persian Gulf

• Disrupt oil shipments by creating unacceptable risks for commercial and military shipping

• Force US warships to operate at greater distances, reducing their effectiveness in supporting ground operations or protecting allies

Following the sinking of IRIS Dena, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced that American forces had destroyed 20 Iranian naval vessels since the conflict began. General Dan Caine confirmed that the US aims to continue this pressure, stating that with dominance of Iran's skies, American forces would expand their attacks inland.

Iran's response has been defiant. Ali Larijani, secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, warned that "the story has not ended yet" and that the killing of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei would "come at a heavy price".

- Why the US fears it

The sinking of IRIS Dena demonstrated American precision and reach. But it also highlighted what the US has to lose: its surface fleet is far more valuable — and far more vulnerable -- than Iran's. The USS Gerald R. Ford and USS Abraham Lincoln, both deployed to the region, represent investments of billions of dollars and thousands of lives. A single successful torpedo strike could shift the conflict's momentum.

Moreover, the psychological impact of an American warship being sunk would be profound -- both domestically and across the region. Iranian officials have consistently framed their naval capabilities as a deterrent against exactly such an outcome.

As the conflict expands, with Iran launching missile and drone attacks on US bases across the region and threats to target economic infrastructure, the naval dimension remains critical. The Strait of Hormuz is both a military theater and the world's energy jugular. Whoever controls it — or can credibly threaten to close it — holds enormous leverage.

For now, the US submarine fleet has demonstrated its ability to strike Iranian vessels far from their home waters. But Iran's strategy has never been about winning a blue-water naval battle. It has always been about making the cost of operating in its coastal waters too high to bear.

The Ajdar torpedo, whether deployed or merely held in reserve, represents that threat. And as long as it exists, every American warship entering the Persian Gulf does so knowing that somewhere beneath the surface, a dragon may be waiting.