Washington, allies step up push to reopen Strait of Hormuz
Shafaq News- Washington
The United States and its allies have intensified military operations to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, deploying attack aircraft and helicopters to target Iranian naval assets and drones, the Wall Street Journal reported on Friday, citing US military officials.
According to the newspaper, the escalation is part of a multi-stage Pentagon plan aimed at reducing threats that have disrupted shipping through the strategic waterway since early March, including armed boats, mines, cruise missiles, and unmanned aerial systems.
At a Pentagon briefing on Thursday, US Air Force General Dan Caine, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said A-10 “Warthog” aircraft are now engaged across the southern flank, targeting fast-attack watercraft in the Strait of Hormuz. Caine added that some allies —without naming them— are using Apache helicopters to “handle one-way attack drones,” which he described as a key Iranian capability.
A US official, cited by the WSJ, said American forces have for several days targeted and destroyed Iranian boats accused of harassing commercial shipping, noting that additional aircraft deployments are intended to intensify the campaign.
Analyst Farzin Nadimi told the WSJ that restoring safe navigation could take weeks, warning that “a lot of the Iranian assets will survive.”
The Strait of Hormuz, which carries around 20% of global oil shipments and a significant share of world trade, remains a critical maritime chokepoint. Iran has indicated that shipping remains open to international vessels, except those linked to the United States and its allies, and has attacked dozens of vessels in the waterway, often using small unmanned boats carrying explosive charges or airborne drones, while other ships have been hit by projectiles in the Strait of Hormuz as well as in the Gulf of Oman and the Persian Gulf.
US President Donald Trump had previously urged allies to deploy warships to secure the vital route. On Thursday, five European countries and Japan said they are prepared to develop coordinated plans to ensure safe navigation, condemning what they described as Iranian attacks on commercial vessels.
