A retired US Navy officer has warned that Iran’s control of the Strait of Hormuz has exposed a deeper weakness in American naval planning, arguing that conventional warships are poorly suited to counter Tehran’s asymmetric tactics in the Persian Gulf.
Writing for the Center for International Maritime Security, Paul Viscovich said Iran had gained the strategic upper hand despite US tactical successes, with mining threats, missile fire, drones, fast boats and coastal anti-ship systems shaping commercial behavior in and around the Strait.
He argued that reopening the Strait would be far more difficult than simply ordering US naval escorts, because destroyers operating in narrow waters would face close-range attacks while protecting large volumes of commercial shipping.
Viscovich said the war showed that Iran had met US great-power forces with cheaper, more expendable systems, and that Washington should respond by complementing traditional warships with mass-produced unmanned systems suited to asymmetric threat environments.
He also warned that any attempt to seize Iranian coastal launch sites would carry major risks, including exposed landing forces, heavy logistical demands and the threat of counterattack by Iran’s army and the IRGC.
