Michael Eisenstadt, Assaf Orion
After attacking more than twenty ships in or near the Strait of Hormuz since the war began, Iran has established a selective passage regime through the Persian Gulf chokepoint, exporting its own oil and natural gas while permitting safe passage to countries that “pay a toll” and denying transit to all others. Tehran’s terms to end the war include a “new legal regime for the Strait of Hormuz,” which is a clear challenge to U.S., global, and regional interests. On March 21, President Trump issued an ultimatum that Iran’s power plants would be obliterated unless it fully opens the strait. The Iranian military countered by threatening to target all U.S. and Israeli-related energy, information technology, and water desalination infrastructure in the region. Earlier today, the president postponed any strikes against power plants for five days to allow ongoing discussions with Iran.
Given the resultant jeopardy to the global economy, Trump has stated that the U.S. Navy will reopen the strait and has called on other countries to help. On March 19, the leaders of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom issued a joint statement expressing “readiness to contribute to appropriate efforts to ensure safe passage” through Hormuz. Twenty-two nations have now signed the statement. Meanwhile, U.S. forces have destroyed over 130 Iranian naval vessels and 44 minelayers and attacked dozens of military targets along Iran’s coast and inside the Gulf, including storage sites for mines and missiles. The United States has also dispatched the 31st and 11th Marine Expeditionary Units and the USS Tripoli and Boxer Amphibious Ready Groups to the Middle East to provide additional options.
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