Unexpected question throws off Pentagon officials during Iran war briefing
Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Air Force General John Caine and U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth attend a House Appropriations Defense Subcommittee oversight hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., U.S., June 10, 2025. REUTERS/Annabelle Gordon

During a Pentagon briefing on the Iran War, Daily Wire reporter Mary Margaret Olohan asked Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Joint Chiefs Chairman Dan Caine about "kamikaze dolphins" allegedly being deployed in the Strait of Hormuz.

Olohan also inquired about the threshold for restarting major combat operations and concerns about mines in the waterway.

The unusual question prompted laughter from reporters.

Caine humorously denied having heard the rumor, asking, "It's like sharks with laser beams, right?” and adding, “The threshold of restarting is a political decision above my pay grade."

Hegseth joked, “And I can't confirm or deny whether we have kamikaze dolphins, but I can confirm they don't."

The Defense Secretary then addressed mine concerns and asserted the U.S. maintains a safe passage lane through the strait.

Watch the video below.