With the operation, the Pentagon is pursuing a multi-stage plan to make the Strait of Hormuz, which is currently effectively closed, passable again.Image: keystone
Since the US-Israeli attack on Iran, the Strait of Hormuz has been effectively closed. The USA is now reacting.
March 20, 2026, 10:07 amMarch 20, 2026, 10:07 am
Charlotta Siemer / t-online
The US has intensified the fight to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, ushering in a new phase of the war. Low-flying fighter jets were sent over sea routes to fire on Iranian naval vessels. This is reported by the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) citing military officials. Apache helicopters are also in use. They are supposed to shoot down Iranian drones.
With the operation, the Pentagon is pursuing a multi-stage plan to make the Strait of Hormuz, which is currently effectively closed, passable again. According to the WSJ, the first step is to reduce the threat posed by Iranian combat boats, mines and cruise missiles. If this is successful, the US could escort the oil tankers and freighters into and out of the Persian Gulf with the help of warships – according to the plan.
The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the US Air Force, General Dan Caine, said in a press conference that heavily armed A-10 fighter jets – also known as Warthog – are currently fighting speedboats in the Strait of Hormuz. They would be supported by Apache attack helicopters. The additional aircraft intensify the campaign, Caine said. Some allies would also use Apache fighter jets for this purpose. He did not name the allies.
Gen. Dan Caine.Image: keystone
Expert: “I think it will take weeks”
Farzin Nadimi, an Iranian defense expert at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, told the WSJ: “I think it will take weeks before we get to a point where safe operation on the streets is possible.” Even then, many Iranian facilities would remain intact.
The US and Israeli war against Iran and its attacks on neighboring states in the Gulf have brought shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz to a virtual standstill. Around 20 percent of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas supplies normally travel through the strait. Oil exports from the region have collapsed by at least 60 percent.
Mutual attacks on energy facilities in the Gulf further aggravated the situation on Thursday. Since the start of the Middle East war, the Brent price has skyrocketed by a good 50 percent. This has forced the Trump administration to confront and respond to the economic consequences of the war.