• Source:JND
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Eighteen days into the War, Iran has withstood what the United States and Israel reportedly anticipated would be a few days' mission and is still dictating the terms in the Strait of Hormuz.

On March 13, Trump, in an indirect admission of failing to contain the Hormuz crisis, called for contributions from allies like the UK and France and even China to join it in keeping it safe and open.

Apparently, the geographic chokepoint connecting the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman has posed significant challenges despite its early presence in the region before the war.

In January, the US started assembling its largest Middle East naval deployment since the 2003 Iraq war, amassing aircraft carriers USS Gerald R Ford and USS Abraham Lincoln, supported by squadrons of F-22 and F-35 aircraft. These were accompanied by over a dozen warships and nine guided-missile destroyers.

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Why Strait of Hormuz proved US navy insignificant

The reason behind the US's failure to dominate the region lies in its geography and Iranian tactics.

Narrow lanes, shallow waters:  Hormuz is a narrow strait with the tightest chokepoint, having a 34 km width and shallow waters. Shipping lanes, just 4 km wide, make it prone to constant threats.

Elevated terrains:  Strait of Hormuz lies south of Iran, which enjoys elevated terrain, enabling over-the-horizon strikes via Khalij Fars, truck-mounted ballistic missiles.

Khalij Fars, with help from geography, outpaces US naval guns.

Mines and IRGC speedboats:  Among the major threats to safe passage are mines in shallow waters. The Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), using its speedboats or Ghadir midget submarines, has been deploying low-cost mines, which increase the threat and destroy vessels more effectively.

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The Iranian Navy uses fast inshore attack craft for its "hornet's nest" tactics, as validated in the 2002 Millennium Challenge wargame, where a simulated Iranian force decimated a US battle group, according to a report by The Times of India.

Low-cost drones, anti-ship missiles:  Iran has been well aware of its leverage over the Strait, and hence it has developed military capabilities to protect and use it during conflict. Iran has been executing swarms of low-cost Shahed drones and has maintained a stockpile of anti-ship cruise missiles, like Noor and Qader, along with ballistic systems like Hormuz-1.


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