Controlling Hormuz Would Take More U.S. Troops

“At the start of this week, President Trump asserted that the Strait of Hormuz was open and under U.S. control. But by Wednesday, as the U.S. and Iran fought it out over the vital waterway, ship tracker Kpler was saying traffic had dropped as the risk to transits deepened,” the Wall Street Journal reports.

“The result hammered home what many analysts and former military officers have long said: Securing the strait and convincing shippers that it is safe to cross without Iran’s consent would likely take a risky naval-escort mission or a vast and costly ground operation in southern Iran. Either would require a major commitment of U.S. personnel.”

Bloomberg: Iran-U.S. skirmishes worsen as Hormuz shipping traffic dwindles.