π¨ STRAIT OF HORMUZ: COULD THE U.S. ACTUALLY KEEP IT OPEN?
Iran is reportedly considering a plan that could block U.S.- and Israeli-linked ships from transiting the Strait of Hormuz, dramatically raising the stakes in one of the most strategically important waterways in the world.
Michael Smerconish speaks with University of Chicago professor Robert Pape, director of the Chicago Project on Security and Threats, about what could happen if the United States attempted to reopen or secure the Strait through military force.
Pape lays out just how difficult such an operation could become.
Iran has geography on its side. It also has the ability to deploy relatively inexpensive drones and other weapons across an enormous area, potentially forcing the United States to defend ships and shipping lanes against threats coming from multiple directions.
According to Pape, the sheer scale of what could be required makes this comparable to some of the most challenging military operations the United States has confronted since World War II.
And that raises a much bigger question.
πΊπΈ What happens if Washington is forced to choose between backing down and escalating?
The Strait of Hormuz isn't just about Iran, Israel and the United States. Disruption there could have consequences for global energy supplies, shipping, markets and countries far beyond the Middle East.
Military power is one thing.
Keeping a strategically vital waterway open against a determined opponent operating from its own territory is something else entirely.
So here's the question:
π How far should the United States realistically be prepared to go to keep the Strait of Hormuz open?
π And if Iran attempted to restrict commercial shipping, would military action solve the problem—or risk turning an already dangerous confrontation into a much larger war?
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