Currently, President Donald Trump is in control of the Strait of Hormuz. His short-term goal, of course, is to pressure Iran’s leaders to abandon their nuclear ambitions. Yet Trump’s blockade is also a major geopolitical hammer on China. For now, oil and petrochemical shipments will only flow out of that waterway under U.S. Navy regulations. All China can do is watch.
“If any of these ships come anywhere near our BLOCKADE, they will be eliminated immediately, using the same killing system we use against the drug dealers on boats at sea,” Trump wrote. “It’s fast and brutal.”
Admiral Brad Cooper, commander of United States Central Command, has devised a brilliant plan to detain Iran while freeing the Gulf States to resume shipping. “The blockade will be enforced impartially against ships of all countries entering or leaving Iranian ports and coastal areas, including all Iranian ports on the Arabian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman,” the US Central Command said.
TRUMP CALLS ON THE WORLD TO BUILD ‘DELAYED COURAGE’ AND SEIZE THE KEY OIL ROUTE FROM IRAN
Here’s how it works. Are you a legitimate VLCC (Very Large Crude Carrier) supertanker leaving a port in the UAE or Saudi Arabia, for example? US Central Command says you’re ready to go. Remember to contact and monitor naval forces on VHF channel 16 for bridge-to-bridge communications.
On the other hand, if you are a ship that has picked up a cargo in Iran, you are in big trouble. U.S. Central Command aircraft and ships have ships under constant surveillance. Yes, it’s the same clear picture as the drug boat attacks in the Caribbean. Military maritime moving target indicator systems even have the ability to rewind and track ships from where they left port. Remember that ships that break the rules can also be intercepted in deep water. There is a lot of US Navy in the North Arabian Gulf.
Lloyd’s estimated 500 to 700 ships are still stuck in the Strait, more if smaller ships with a deadweight of less than 10,000 tons are included. CENTCOM is taking action to help. On Saturday, the U.S. Navy guided missile destroyers USS Frank E. Petersen (DDG-121) and USS Michael Murphy (DDG-112) sailed north through the Strait and back south again, marking a mine-free path. CENTCOM “will soon share this secure path with the maritime industry to promote the free flow of trade,” Cooper said Monday. Look for a gradual but steady increase in traffic. Shippers have to reconfigure destinations and that takes time.
Meanwhile, no ship will approach an Iranian port without being spotted. Here are some of the systems at work under Central Command’s new rules.
WHY THE HORMUZ REGION MATTERS IF TRUMP ISSUES A NEW ULTIMATUM TO IRAN
Land-based naval aircraft. High above the Strait, the land-based P-8 Poseidon and the MQ-4 Triton, a high-altitude Navy drone with a 100-foot wingspan, provide a continuous maritime view for Admiral Cooper. Their radars are specially tuned to track maritime targets.
E-2D Hawkeye. The large radar dish atop these USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft can track 3,000 air, ground and sea targets simultaneously in a 360-degree field of view. Real-time surveillance is the basis
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USS Tripoli (LHA-7). The amphibious ship has 2,200 marines on board and its own air wing. You can bet their F-35B fighters, MV-22 Osprey tiltrotors and MH-60 Sierra helicopters are active. The MH-60s can locate and disable mines, and pursue small IRGC boats that behave foolishly. Of course, Tripoli can also board and seize ships if necessary.
Aegis destroyers. In addition to the two that already control the Strait, the U.S. Navy has about a dozen Aegis destroyers in the region. Together they form the world’s best missile defense shield – and have formidable firepower.
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At this point, there is little Iran can do to undo Trump’s blockade. Air strikes destroyed underground anti-ship cruise missile bunkers. The IRGC fast boats will be on a suicide mission if they attempt a hit-and-run attack. Drone defense is in place. US aircraft are active during the ceasefire and can respond quickly if Iran strikes.
Trump’s blockade of Iranian ports is a testament to US air and maritime dominance. It is also a vivid reminder for Xi Jinping of China’s vulnerability. China imports about 11 million barrels of oil per day, and 90% of that comes by sea. Trump’s desired end goal is freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, but in the meantime Trump is showing China that the US Navy can control its most important oil route as it sees fit. That is a real blow to the China-Russian clique.
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