U.S. Navy Admits Inability to Guarantee Navigation Safety in the Strait of Hormuz
Admiral Daryl Caudle, Chief of Naval Operations of the U.S. Navy, admitted on Thursday that the U.S. Navy is unable to fully ensure navigation safety in the Strait of Hormuz through military means.
Speaking during a hearing before the U.S. Senate, he responded to questions about whether U.S. forces could open the strait militarily by stating: "We can still take many measures to strengthen the blockade, but if we truly begin providing escort services for vessels crossing this contested strait, from my perspective as a military officer, the Navy would be unable to effectively carry out this mission."
He added that escorting ships through the strait is an extremely complex task, and thus must await the normalization of ceasefire conditions in the region.
On February 28, the United States and Israel began striking targets inside Iran. On April 8, Washington and Tehran announced a ceasefire, but the U.S. immediately began blockading Iranian ports, while Iran declared special transit rules for passing through the Strait of Hormuz. Due to the escalation of conflict, shipping through the Strait of Hormuz has nearly come to a standstill. However, in recent days, as the U.S. announced preparations to launch attacks on Iran, Iran's military has begun reporting ship passages through the waterway more frequently.
Source: sputniknews
Original article: toutiao.com/article/1865857325339712/
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author.