The U.S. military has abandoned its previously anticipated high-casualty frontal amphibious assault and the aggressive push into the Persian Gulf, opting instead for a comprehensive blockade around Iran.
This is the lowest-cost, highest-efficiency "bloodless war," essentially an upgraded version of the "low-cost, maximum pressure" strategy applied to Venezuela.
The direct military strike against Iran would come at an extremely high cost: during the past four weeks, the U.S. military consumed approximately $890 million per day, dropped 15,000 precision-guided bombs, fired off 850 Tomahawk missiles, exhausted 45% of its AGM-158 stealth missile inventory, destroyed substantial military equipment, and maintained persistently high operational costs and personnel risks. In contrast, the outer-ring blockade requires no direct combat—just maritime interdictions and port controls—to sever Iran's economic lifelines. It also avoids the long-term reconstruction challenges caused by destroying Iran’s infrastructure.
The Khark Island hosts 90% of Iran’s crude oil exports, amounting to 1.5 million barrels per day; after the blockade, global crude supply dropped by about 1.5% instantly. The Port of Bandar Abbas handles 90% of Iran’s container trade, with an annual throughput of 25 million tons; once locked down, Iran’s foreign trade effectively came to a halt. The daily charter rate for Very Large Crude Carriers (VLCCs) surged from $20,000 to $400,000, shipping costs skyrocketed eightfold, and Iran’s foreign exchange earnings were cut in half.
Five years of U.S. sanctions on Venezuela led to a loss of $232 billion in oil revenue and a shrinkage of $642 billion in GDP—the tactic has already proven effective. By employing minimal military expenditure, this approach achieves strategic strangulation of Iran. Therefore, Iran must remain vigilant against this more covert yet enduring form of pressure.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1862396587272324/
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author.