After U.S. and Iranian negotiators failed to reach an agreement to end the war, the U.S. military began enforcing a blockade to maritime traffic entering or leaving Iranian ports in the Strait of Hormuzsea route that provides the only passage from the Persian Gulf to the open ocean.
However, although it is known that the United States Army has the ability to impose a blockade on ships entering and leaving the Persian Gulfthe main objective of this strategy promoted by the president donald trumpwho allegedly wants to pressure the authorities of Tehran.
“Iran is not willing to give up the enrichment of uranium or to his ambitions with nuclear weapons“added the president republican in response to statements by the Iranian Foreign Ministry, which openly blamed the “highly excessive and requests illegal” from the New York tycoon.
Therefore, according to American media, the Navy of the United States has the most risky of this conflict, with the alleged goal of maximizing pressure on Iran by strangling its cash flow from the energy trade, because the strait is one of the most important points of congestion.
Trump’s riskiest move
According to what was stated by the British television network BBCthis blockade in the Strait of Hormuz allows American warships patrol more securely, far from the coast of Iran, in the waters of the Gulf of Oman, where they can track ships leaving Iranian ports and intercept them in high seas.
However, various American media consider that the forces involved in this strategy are exposed to attacks with missiles, drones and Iranian fast boats. Furthermore, the possible presence of mines in the water would have added another level of riskso this move by Donald Trump could be “very dangerous and expensive“.
Despite this, according to the rear admiral United States Mark MontgomeryThe United States Navy has all the necessary resources for an operation of this type, given that it has special forces, helicopters and your own speed boats at your disposal. “I think it’s feasible,” the soldier told the BBC.
According to Montgomery, the recent blockades in Venezuela and Cuba have demonstrated the capabilities of the US Navy, as well as the seizure of russian tankers in the North Atlantic Ocean, where the Navy demonstrated that these types of operations can be carried out practically anywhere.
Will the US strategy work?
In accordance with what was mentioned by David SatterfieldUS special envoy for humanitarian affairs in the Middle East, Iran believes it can overcome this blockade, so the US “will suffer “All the consequences of oil prices and the Gulf States will put pressure on Trump to reopen the strait.”
“Iranians believe they can endure more pain for longer than their opponents,” concluded Satterfield, who believes that the US authorities have not taken into account the determination from Iran, so it may be some time before we see the US. intercepting ships near Iranian ports.