Navy comparison: 
Iran vs 
Israel
Iran operates 77 warships compared to 49 for Israel. Counting auxiliaries, reserve and non-commissioned hulls, the fleets number 120 and 52.
SEAS (Sea Equipment Aggregate Strength) Index face-off Full ranking →
Iran
Israel
Bars: weighted contribution to the SEAS Index (hulls × category weight × size, era and propulsion factors, minor vessels capped at 30 % of the combatant points; the air-wing, sustainment, armament and availability multipliers apply on top) · figures: active hulls at each side's latest inventory year · Methodology
Key figures as of 2026
| Iran | Israel | Ratio | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Official name | Islamic Republic of Iran Navy | Israeli Navy | |
| Total ships | 120 | 52 | 🇮🇷 2.3× |
| Active ships | 120 | 52 | 🇮🇷 2.3× |
| On order / planned | 0 | 3 | 🇮🇱 |
| Submarines | 2 | 6 | 🇮🇱 3.0× |
| Principal surface combatants | 0 | 0 | — |
| Amphibious ships | 12 | 0 | 🇮🇷 |
Show full breakdown · 5 more rowsHide the 5 extra rows
| Corvettes | 0 | 7 | 🇮🇱 |
| Patrol boats | 23 | 28 | 🇮🇱 1.2× |
| Mine warfare | 1 | 0 | 🇮🇷 |
| Coastal boats | 39 | 8 | 🇮🇷 4.9× |
| Auxiliaries | 43 | 3 | 🇮🇷 14× |
Explore this matchup
Go deeper · same matchup, other lenses
Change opponent
Analyst Assessment
Verdict
Edge: Israel
Israel holds the overall edge with a smaller but far more modern force — six Dolphin submarines and seven Sa'ar 5/6 corvettes carrying networked air-defence and strike systems — while Iran's larger 112-hull fleet is weighted toward light patrol craft. Iran's advantage lies in numbers, mining and littoral denial in the Gulf, not in blue-water capability.
Domain by domain
Submarines
Edge: Israel
🇮🇷 IranTwo Russian-built Kilo-class boats, ageing and maintenance-constrained under sanctions, plus 14 Ghadir midget craft optimised for shallow Gulf ambush and mine delivery rather than sustained patrol.
🇮🇱 IsraelSix German-built Dolphin-class boats with AIP in the later batch, long endurance and heavyweight torpedo/cruise-missile tubes; three Dakar-class successors on order.
Surface combatants
Edge: Israel
🇮🇷 IranNo principal surface combatants in the inventory: 46 patrol boats (La Combattante II, Mk III, C 14) and 15 coastal craft, missile-armed but short-legged and lightly protected.
🇮🇱 IsraelNo frigates or destroyers, but seven corvettes — four Sa'ar 6 and three Sa'ar 5 — with Barak and C-Dome air defence and organic helicopter facilities, plus 28 patrol boats.
Coastal & mine warfare
Edge: Iran
🇮🇷 IranCore competence: swarming fast-attack craft, one dedicated mine-warfare vessel and a large mine-laying potential across dozens of small hulls in the Strait of Hormuz chokepoint.
🇮🇱 IsraelEight Sa'ar 4.5 coastal boats and Dvora/Shaldag/Super Dvora classes configured for littoral interdiction and coastal security, not offensive mining or chokepoint closure.
Bases & reach
Edge: Iran
🇮🇷 IranEight bases spanning the Gulf, Gulf of Oman and Caspian — Bandar Abbas, Chabahar, Jask — giving interior lines and occasional Indian Ocean deployments.
🇮🇱 IsraelTwo separated theatres, Mediterranean and Red Sea via Eilat, with no amphibious lift; corvette endurance permits regional but not sustained distant operations.
Shipbuilding & sustainment
Edge: Israel
🇮🇷 IranDomestic yards produce small craft and support ships (Hendijan, Delvar) under sanctions; no new major units on order, and spares for the Kilos are a chronic constraint.
🇮🇱 IsraelDepends on German construction for Sa'ar 6 and Dolphin/Dakar hulls, with three submarines on order and strong domestic electronics, weapons and sensor integration.
Wildcards
- Hormuz geography Iran's littoral fleet operates from covered anchorages along a narrow chokepoint, where mines and massed small craft impose costs disproportionate to their tonnage or index score.
- Access to foreign yards Israel's fleet quality rests on external supply of hulls and subsystems; Iran builds domestically but under sanctions. Either constraint could shift the balance over a decade.
- Sustained operational tempo Israel's navy maintains continuous submarine and corvette patrols with high readiness rates on a 52-hull force; Iran's 112 active hulls include many craft with limited availability.
Analysis generated by a language model from the figures on this page and public sources; it is an informed reading, not a military assessment or a prediction.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which country has more naval ships, Iran or Israel?
Iran has a larger navy with 77 warships in service compared to Israel's 49.
Which navy has more submarines, Iran or Israel?
Israel operates more submarines with 6 compared to Iran's 2.
How do the Iran and Israel navies compare in size?
Iran's navy is 1.6 times larger than Israel's in terms of total ships (77 vs 49).