Iran war: How can US military forcibly reopen Strait of Hormuz
Last week, the Trump administration ordered an additional 5,000 troops to be deployed to the Middle East, which includes 2,500 Marines and 2,500 sailors.
Choking the Strait of Hormuz, which is a key waterway for a fifth of world’s oil trade, has led to the crude prices soaring to over $115 a barrel. (AI Generated Image)
As US President Donald Trump rakes up pressure on Iran to sign a deal and end the conflict in West Asia which started when US-Israel launched joint operation against Tehran on February 28, Pentagon is lining up a wide range of military options which could potentially put US troops on ground.
Choking the Strait of Hormuz, which is a key waterway for a fifth of world’s oil trade, has led to the crude prices soaring to over $115 a barrel. Trump has said that he is prepared to “give diplomacy a chance” yet Washington and Tel Aviv continue to bombard the Islamic nation. The US president on Sunday further said that he wanted to “take the oil in Iran”.
Last week, the Trump administration ordered an additional 5,000 troops to be deployed to the Middle East, which includes 2,500 Marines and 2,500 sailors. This brings the total number of American troops in the region to over 50,000, which is about 10,000 more than usual, New York Times reported.
President Trump is still weighing options to try and launch a larger attack, like capturing a particular island (Kharg Island) or other territories. (AI Generated Image)
In response to reports of the US military’s ground deployment, Iran threatened to put carpet bombs on its own territory to kill any American soldier on its soil.
Iran’s parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf on Sunday had said, “Our men are waiting for the arrival of the American soldiers on the ground to set them on fire and punish their regional allies once and for all.”
President Trump is still weighing options to try and launch a larger attack, like capturing a particular island (Kharg Island) or other territories as part of an effort to open the Strait of Hormuz, NYT report added. The narrow waterway has largely remained shut since the Iran war began.
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The report further stated that US Army paratroopers could be used to seize Kharg Island, which is Iran’s main oil export hub in the Persian Gulf, where the American military hit at least 90 targets this month. There’s also the possibility of Army paratroopers to be deployed for other ground operations along with US Marines.
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Choking the Strait of Hormuz, which is a key waterway for a fifth of world’s oil trade, has led to the crude prices soaring to over $115 a barrel. (AI Generated Image) 
