The United States military has launched a mission to clear sea mines in the Strait of Hormuz to establish a safe pathway for global commerce. US Central Command (CENTCOM) announced Saturday that the operation will involve the guided missile destroyers USS Frank E. Peterson and USS Michael Murphy.
This deployment follows Iran’s attempt to close the waterway since the US and Israel launched a war on Iran on February 28. The mission aims to secure the flow of goods after the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) released a map of the Strait on Wednesday.
Negotiations to end the conflict have stalled. France24 reported that a deadline for the start of a US military blockade of ships leaving Iranian ports passed on Monday. Following the breakdown of weekend talks, Tehran threatened to retaliable against the ports of its Gulf neighbors.
A strategy of blockade and economic pressure
The US is implementing a blockade targeting vessels entering or departing Iranian ports and coastal areas. According to CENTCOM, the blockade will be enforced "impartially against vessels of all nations entering or departing Iranian ports and coastal areas," though ships using non-Iranian ports will not be stopped.
Centcom stated that ships carrying humanitarian supplies will be permitted, though they will remain "subject to inspection."
Retired US Rear Admiral Mark Montgomery told the BBC that the blockade is a more manageable option than direct combat. "I do think it's doable," Montgomery said. "And it's certainly less risky than the alternative, which would have been to forcibly push back the Iranians and create the conditions for a convoy."
Montgomery noted that the US military has the necessary assets, including special forces, helicopters, and fast boats. He also pointed out that operating in the Gulf of Oman allows US warships to loiter safely far offshore, avoiding the confined area of the Strait where Iranian missiles, drones, and fast boats pose a threat.
However, the strategy faces significant economic and political hurdles. Since the war began, Iran has continued to export petrochemicals through the Gulf, earning billions of dollars while preventing other Gulf nations from exporting their own hydrocarbons.
David Satterfield, a former US special envoy for Middle East humanitarian affairs, told the BBC that Iran believes it can withstand the pressure. "They believe they can outweigh this," Satterfield said. "that the US will feel pain from oil prices and that the Gulf states will pressure the US, ultimately, to get the Strait open again."
Satterfield added that Washington has failed to account for Iranian persistence: "They think they've won. The Iranians believe…that they can absorb more pain for a longer period than their opponents can."
As the blockade takes effect, oil prices have surged. France24 reported there is currently no sign of a swift reopening of the Strait of Hormuz to ease the ongoing disruption in global supplies.