Iran is holding the Strait of Hormuz hostage. Middle East correspondent for The Wall Street Journal, Jared Malsin, believes he has a solution. He listed possible options for the US and Israel, which he discussed with experts, including Bryan Clark, a senior fellow at the Hudson Institute and a veteran naval officer.
One option is to clear the way for escorts, employing a more intense use of air power to destroy Iranian missiles and drones before they can be fired at ships. Another would be to use ground troops to seize the territory along the waterway.
Escorts
Escort experts estimate it could take two ships per tanker, or a dozen ships to guard a convoy of 5 to 10 tankers to have the necessary air defenses. The short distances involved make it much more difficult to shoot down missiles and drones.
Despite American and Israeli attacks decimating Iran’s navy and military capabilities, the IRGC commanders still have the ability to attack.
Escorts would take thousands of soldiers and sailors and a great deal of money, and they’d have to do it for months. Using aircraft would take them out of their offensive roles or broader missile defense.
Lloyd’s of London said that delays caused by security measures and the number of available warships would reduce tanker traffic through the Strait to 10% of its normal level. It would take months to clear the backlog alone.
Sending Troops
The other option, sending troops, would be extremely undesirable and would require thousands of trips and a commitment that could last months. It would expose U.S. forces to attack from regime fighters. It would also require extensive troops along the coastline. American troops, most likely Marines, would have to mount an amphibious assault in an area of rugged, mountainous terrain.
Maintaining control of the area would require an invasion, according to military analysts. Any American ships on the ground would be targets for the Iranians. The Iranian Guard has 190,000 troops who specialize in asymmetric warfare, and they’re very experienced. Even given all that, holding the coast wouldn’t completely eliminate Iranian threats. They could fire longer-range missiles and drones. None of this might eliminate the threat enough to persuade shippers to use the Strait.
The Solution
Only an end to the fighting with Iran, along with assurances from the Iranian government that it will stop attacking ships in the Persian Gulf, would be enough to resume the normal volume of traffic of more than 100 ships a day, according to military and oil and shipping industry analysts.
“You would have to convince the insurance and shipping companies it is safe enough to transit,” said Mick Mulroy, a former deputy assistant secretary of defense for the Middle East.
President Trump said Iran wants to negotiate, but it’s too soon, and he plans to send escorts. The IRGC commanders say they have no interest in talking with the United States. They want full compensation for any destruction, and they want the US out of the region.
In the meantime, Iran continues to lie, and the US continues to obliterate the equipment and infrastructure.
🚫The Iranian regime’s foreign minister claims that the United States is using one-way attack drones to attack Gulf countries and shifting the blame to Iran. LIE.
✅Iranian forces have launched thousands of drones AND missiles at its neighbors, indiscriminately targeting… pic.twitter.com/kr7slhdtEO
— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) March 15, 2026
Iranian combat power declines, as U.S. dominance builds over vast swaths of Iran. pic.twitter.com/LrYe5PVMj1
— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) March 15, 2026
The peninsula that makes up the southern part of the Strait of Hormuz is primarily owned Oman and is friendly to the USA. The peninsula is very rugged and mountainous so take a few mountains and lop off the top. Install on one of those mountains a 15,000′ balloon on a tether like they use on the southern boarder with… Read more »
That’s brilliant.