U.S. Navy could soon be escorting commercial ships through the Strait of Hormuz, where maritime traffic has effectively stopped due to the current conflict with Iran, according to President Donald Trump. Doing so would demand that American naval vessels transit through the Strait, shifting them away from other duties. More importantly, it would also mean putting them right in a super weapons engagement zone full of Iranian threats that could include cruise and ballistic missiles, one-way-attack drones, explosive-laden kamikaze boats, and naval mines.
“If necessary, the United States Navy will begin escorting tankers through the Strait of Hormuz, as soon as possible,” President Trump wrote in a post on his Truth Social social media network.
“Effective IMMEDIATELY, I have ordered the United States Development Finance Corporation (DFC) to provide, at a very reasonable price, political risk insurance and guarantees for the Financial Security of ALL Maritime Trade, especially Energy, traveling through the Gulf,” he also wrote. “This will be available to all Shipping Lines.”
“No matter what, the United States will ensure the FREE FLOW of ENERGY to the WORLD. The United States’ ECONOMIC and MILITARY MIGHT is the GREATEST ON EARTH,” he added. “More actions to come.”
U.S. Central Command declined to comment when reached for more details. TWZ has also reached out to the White House. …
This is not the first time that the United States has been faced with this predicament or decided to start escorting commercial vessels through the region as a result. The U.S. Navy did just this in the late 1980s during the Tanker War sideshow to the Iran-Iraq War. At the same time, that experience underscores the immense amount of resources such a campaign could require, as well as the risks.
At the peak of those operations, there were some 30 American warships escorting commercial vessels to and from the Persian Gulf. Aircraft, special operations forces, and other assets were also deployed in support. The risks to American service members, as well as the ships they were tasked to safeguard, were very real. …
Narrow water passage controlled by opposing faction, hmm? Ask the British about Dardanelles and see how it worked out for them. It doesn’t t need to be a complete closure; an occasional artillery barrage or rocket would suffice.
Yeah. Iran can just shoot at anything passing by with minimal risk. The only way to stop them would be to land troops as push them out, but even then you would have to push them back quite a bit to stop missiles from hitting the straight. And of course, landing troops is going to be bloody, very very bloody. Can the US afford it?
But don’t worry, all those ships sunk by the Iranians can just be replaced by the shiny new Trump class battleships.
They don’t need to land troops. They can strike the launchers from the air.
Like they did with the Houthi? Didn’t they bankrupt the only Israeli port on the Red Sea? And they weren’t nearly as organized or prepared as the Iranians.