Securing the Strait May Force Ground Troops

Reopening and reliably keeping the Strait of Hormuz navigable is not just an air-and-missile task; the article argues that asymmetric Iranian weapons (mines, kamikaze drones) mean the U.S. may need ground forces to clear and hold littoral areas. That transforms a limited-strike operation into an occupation-level planning problem with long timelines and high political costs. — If true, it reframes debates over military options into debates about long-term occupations, domestic political risk, and the limits of high-tech strikes, affecting electoral politics, budget choices, and alliance commitments.