A U.S. military effort to reopen the Strait of Hormuz by force would likely require U.S. ground troops in a dangerous, costly operation that could drag on for years, five military and shipping experts told MS NOW.
Reopening the strait is widely seen by experts as the single best step the United States could take to bring down spiraling global oil costs. But ship captains said they have not heard a clear plan from U.S. military officials as the closure sends prices higher.
Some former military officials and maritime experts are confident that American ships, aircraft and drones alone will be enough to protect tankers transiting the Strait of Hormuz, which is 21 miles wide at its narrowest point and bordered by Iran to the north.
Others say U.S. ground troops would need to seize control of miles of Iranian coastline and secure it until the conflict ends.
“You’ll need to create a buffer zone on the ground if it’s determined that air strikes do not sufficiently decrease Iran’s ability to fire onto traffic transiting the straits,” said Retired Army Gen. James A. “Spider” Marks, a military analyst. “That’s why Marines are en route. It’s a contingency force.”
Jonathan Schroden, the chief research scientist at the Center for Naval Analysis, said the level of security the U.S. is trying to create will determine whether ground troops are needed.








