Why the U.S. Navy Won’t Blast the Iranians and ‘Open’ Strait of Hormuz
March 31st, 2026Via: Responsible Statecraft:
The era of carrier-dominated airpower is fading, as cheap, unmanned anti-ship weapons reshape naval warfare, whether US planners are ready for it or not.
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The era of shore-based anti-access and area denial had arrived in the Persian Gulf. The balance between shore- and sea-based weapons had shifted in favor of shore-based weapons — particularly missiles. No more Yankee Stations were possible in areas where enemies had invested in arsenals of cheap, accurate cruise and ballistic missiles.
…the Navy grasps the reality of the circumstances, recognizing that it simply can’t sail into the strait without risk getting blown to smithereens by Iran’s missiles. Today, its carriers are stationed well outside the Gulf and the ranges of Iranian missiles.
