How US Forces are Trying to Open the Strait of Hormuz

TL;DR

The US is using bunker busters, A-10s, and Marine amphibious forces to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, which Iran's IRGC closed using drones, mines, and electronic warfare.

Key Points

• 1.Iran's closure strategy relies on layered denial, not a traditional blockade. The IRGC uses cheap unmanned surface vessels, sea mines, and GPS spoofing rather than ships, striking 20+ commercial vessels and reducing traffic to near zero.
• 2.The GBU-72 bunker buster bombs were used for the first time in mid-March against Iran's coastal bases. These 5,000 lb weapons targeted fortified IRGC facilities on islands like Qeshm, where short-range drone launch sites and anti-ship ballistic missile stockpiles are concentrated.
• 3.Iran's geography limits its attack options to a narrow 300-mile coastal kill box. Steep inland mountains prevent line-of-sight strikes from depth, and Iran's Shahed drones can't reliably track moving tankers, forcing IRGC launches from close-range coastal positions.
• 4.The A-10 Warthog was deployed to intercept Iran's fast-attack boat mosquito fleet. At $19,000 per flight hour — half the cost of an F-35 — it uses 30mm rounds and loiters longer; its presence signals future close air support for a potential amphibious ground operation.
• 5.Two Marine MEUs totaling ~5,000 troops with amphibious assault capability were ordered to the region. The first arrived March 27th; 82nd Airborne HQ elements are also reportedly deployed, suggesting planning for a forcible entry to capture Qeshm Island and clear the coastline.
• 6.Iran is resupplying weapons via a Central Asian transit route through Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan. A convoy of 100+ trucks entered Iran from Tajikistan on March 18th; the IDF struck Iran's Caspian Sea port at Bandar Anzali to cut off Russian and Chinese arms shipments.
• 7.Diplomatic signals are deeply contradictory, with escalation risks still high. Trump threatened Iran's power infrastructure, Iran denied negotiations, shipping insurance rates rose sixfold in a week, and an F-35 made an emergency landing after a possible IRGC missile or debris hit — suggesting no quick resolution.