The Chances of the U.S. Protecting Tankers in the Strait of Hormuz Are Low 0 11

Protecting tankers passing through the Strait of Hormuz may prove to be an overly complex task for the U.S. military. This was reported by The Wall Street Journal (WSJ), citing military analysts.

Among the risks, specialists mentioned Iranian drones and anti-ship missiles, which could turn the strait into an area of constant threat for vessels. Additionally, protecting a single tanker would require up to two military ships. Escorting five to ten civilian vessels would mean deploying up to ten combat ships. Furthermore, U.S. forces would have to patrol the coastline with MQ-9 Reaper drones and continuously strike Iranian positions on the shore.

However, even if Washington undertakes all of this, the flow of vessels will drop to ten percent of the usual level. The backlog of more than six hundred tankers will take months to resolve.

Nevertheless, the U.S. could resort to a radical scenario and launch a large-scale operation against the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, attempting to destroy all launch sites along the coast of the strait. Such an operation would not conclude quickly and would require thousands of soldiers and sailors, as well as very large resources.