Dolphins are among the most intelligent animals on the planet. They communicate. They form bonds. They feel pain. They grieve. They have been observed showing empathy and compassion toward other species including humans.

Iran wants to strap mines to them and send them to blow up warships.

According to reports from the Wall Street Journal, Iranian officials are considering deploying mine-carrying dolphins to attack US warships deployed in the Strait of Hormuz. As the fragile ceasefire between the US and Iran holds, Iranian hardliners are pushing for military escalation — and dolphins are reportedly among the weapons being considered.

This is not science fiction. The use of marine mammals in military operations has a documented history. The Soviet Union trained dolphins for combat missions during the Cold War. The US Navy has its own marine mammal program. But using dolphins as living bombs — strapping mines to them and sending them on one-way missions into a conflict zone — is something else entirely.

These animals have no say in this conflict. They do not understand geopolitics. They do not understand war. They are being considered as expendable weapons by humans fighting a human war.

Dolphins cannot speak for themselves. They cannot protest. They cannot refuse. But we can speak for them.

We are calling on the international community, animal welfare organizations and world leaders to condemn Iran's reported plan to weaponize dolphins and demand that marine mammals be protected from military use in any conflict.

Sign this petition and tell the world: dolphins are not weapons. They deserve protection not deployment.