Considering it has signficantly affected oil prices. Yes.
A large amount of ships are currently stuck in the persian gulf. A significant portion of this is because they do not want to take the risk. The threat is enough to be effective but Iran is also enforcing it.
I read somewhere that Iran can close the strait without a full-scale naval engagement using selective drone strikes and harassing vessels, Iran triggers a spike in maritime insurance premiums which will choke shipping companies. Also because of the narrow width of the strait, also shallow, Iran can use mines, they have both simple contact mines to sophisticated “smart” mines, apparently they possesses one of the largest naval mine inventories in the world.
Those are fair points. They don’t need to block all targeted traffic. They just have to be enough of a threat/pain in the ass for transportation and insurance rates to go up to an uncomfortable level. It’s all about threat and perception.
Sure, the US air force and navy could bomb the shit out of their artillery placements. But given how (relatively) cheap and effective drones are, that might not be as effective as it seems at first.
They’re a petrostate with a hopelessly outdated air force, the US or any other developed country can destroy their infrastructure at their leisure and bring their economy to it’s knees. Which they would happily do if Iran sinks a vessel flagged in their waters.
They also need a working vessel to lay those mines.
Does Iran actually have the capability to close the Strait though? I thought every naval asset they have has been flattened.
Considering it has signficantly affected oil prices. Yes.
A large amount of ships are currently stuck in the persian gulf. A significant portion of this is because they do not want to take the risk. The threat is enough to be effective but Iran is also enforcing it.
I’ve been wondering the same thing.
It’s a baller thing to say. But if they’ve lost air superiority (or even if it’s compromised) then it doesn’t mean much.
I read somewhere that Iran can close the strait without a full-scale naval engagement using selective drone strikes and harassing vessels, Iran triggers a spike in maritime insurance premiums which will choke shipping companies. Also because of the narrow width of the strait, also shallow, Iran can use mines, they have both simple contact mines to sophisticated “smart” mines, apparently they possesses one of the largest naval mine inventories in the world.
Those are fair points. They don’t need to block all targeted traffic. They just have to be enough of a threat/pain in the ass for transportation and insurance rates to go up to an uncomfortable level. It’s all about threat and perception.
Sure, the US air force and navy could bomb the shit out of their artillery placements. But given how (relatively) cheap and effective drones are, that might not be as effective as it seems at first.
They’re a petrostate with a hopelessly outdated air force, the US or any other developed country can destroy their infrastructure at their leisure and bring their economy to it’s knees. Which they would happily do if Iran sinks a vessel flagged in their waters.
They also need a working vessel to lay those mines.
It’s not really baller if everyone just ignores them, and joins a US led convoy through the Strait.