>>180502, >>180503, >>180503, >>180505, >>180506, >>180507, >>180508, >>180509, >>180510, >>180511, >>180512, >>180513, >>180514, >>180515, >>180516, >>180517, >>180518, >>180519
Historical and current context
This echoes the 1980s Tanker War, where the US did sink Iranian ships and escort tankers (Operation Earnest Will / Praying Mantis), but even then it was costly and didn't involve "forcing open" under fire from modern dispersed missiles/drones. In the 2026 crisis, the US has already conducted exactly the kind of strikes you're describing—destroying over 130 naval vessels, minelayers, and key infrastructure—yet residual threats kept commercial traffic throttled until the recent ceasefire.
The US approach (strikes to degrade capabilities + ultimatums on power plants/infrastructure) was designed to pressure Iran into reopening the strait without the US having to run the high-risk gauntlet of a direct naval "opening" operation. That pressure, combined with Iran's own economic dependence on the strait for its oil exports, led to the ceasefire and agreement for safe transit that was announced today (April 8, 2026). Forcing it purely by US naval power would have been possible in theory but far costlier in blood, treasure, and time than the attrition-plus-negotiation route that actually produced results.
In short: the US could dominate the strait eventually with overwhelming force, but the "why not just do it?" question ignores how expensive, protracted, and escalatory that specific mission would be against Iran's surviving low-tech, high-volume asymmetric toolkit. The military calculus favored degrading the threat and compelling a deal over a risky frontal assault.
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