Western Allies Face Growing Challenge Protecting the Strait of Hormuz After Costly Red Sea Effort

BY COMFORT OGBONNA

Western allies attempting to secure the Strait of Hormuz for global energy shipments are confronting a difficult reality: a similar military effort launched earlier in the Red Sea proved extremely costly and ultimately failed to stop attacks on commercial shipping. The experience has raised serious concerns among military planners and policymakers who now face a far more complex threat environment in one of the world’s most critical maritime chokepoints.

The earlier Red Sea operation, which began in late 2023 to counter attacks by Yemen’s Houthi movement, required billions of dollars in military resources and weapons. Despite those efforts, the campaign struggled to fully restore safe passage for commercial vessels. Four cargo ships were ultimately sunk during the conflict, and more than $1 billion worth of defensive missiles and equipment were used to intercept drones and projectiles. Even today, the shipping industry continues to avoid the Red Sea route whenever possible, choosing instead to send vessels on the much longer and more expensive journey around the southern tip of Africa.

That experience now looms large as tensions escalate around the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow waterway connecting the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Oman. Roughly one-fifth of the world’s oil supply and a significant share of global liquefied natural gas shipments pass through this strait every day. The waterway has effectively been blocked following rising hostilities involving Iran, which possesses far greater military capabilities than the Houthis and sits directly along the strait’s northern coastline.

Iran’s threats to disrupt shipping through the strait and its attacks on energy infrastructure across the Gulf region have sent global oil prices surging, triggering one of the most severe disruptions to oil and gas supplies in modern history. Analysts warn that if the passage remains closed for an extended period, the consequences could ripple through the global economy. Energy shortages could push up the cost of fuel, transportation, food, and manufactured goods, affecting both developed and emerging economies.

“There is no substitute for the Strait of Hormuz,” Kuwait Petroleum CEO Sheikh Nawaf Saud Al-Sabah said during a video address to the CERAWeek energy conference in Houston. He emphasized that the strait represents a critical international waterway and argued that the global community must ensure that shipping remains open under international law.

Diplomatic efforts are now intensifying at the United Nations. Members of the U.N. Security Council have begun negotiating possible resolutions aimed at safeguarding maritime traffic through the strait. Some countries, including Bahrain, are advocating for a stronger response that would authorize the use of “all necessary means” to guarantee safe passage for oil tankers and cargo vessels.

However, security experts warn that defending shipping in the Strait of Hormuz will be significantly more complicated than the Red Sea mission. Iran’s military capabilities are far more sophisticated, and the country has spent years building a layered defense system designed specifically to challenge naval forces operating in the narrow waterway.

Military analysts point to Iran’s arsenal of drones, anti-ship missiles, floating sea mines, and small attack boats capable of swarming large vessels. Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps also maintains bases and weapons depots hidden along hundreds of miles of rugged coastline overlooking the strait. In many locations, the shoreline sits extremely close to the shipping lanes, meaning drones or fast boats could reach commercial vessels in a matter of minutes.

Retired U.S. Rear Admiral Mark Montgomery, who helped coordinate American tanker escort missions during the Iran-Iraq war in the 1980s, said defending convoy operations in the strait today would be far more difficult than earlier maritime protection missions.

Unlike the Red Sea operation, which primarily involved intercepting drones and missiles launched from Yemen, naval forces in the Strait of Hormuz must also prepare for underwater threats such as sea mines and mini-submarines. These weapons can be deployed quietly and can severely damage even large warships or oil tankers.

Military experts say that maintaining a protective escort system in the strait could require a large fleet presence, including multiple destroyers, surveillance aircraft, drones, and helicopters operating around the clock. Warships would need to detect incoming missiles, defend against drone swarms, clear potential sea mines, and monitor fast-moving attack boats all at the same time.

Defense analysts warn that even advanced destroyers have limitations. While they can intercept missiles, they cannot simultaneously perform mine-clearing operations, defend against multiple drone boat swarms, and counter electronic interference such as GPS jamming. These operational challenges highlight the complexity of maintaining security in such a narrow and crowded waterway.

Iran’s geographic advantage further complicates the situation. The country’s mountainous coastline allows military forces to hide missile launchers, drones, and other weapons inside caves and reinforced structures. This makes it difficult for foreign naval forces to identify and destroy launch sites before attacks occur.

Some experts also warn about the potential use of suicide missions involving explosive-laden boats or drones. These attacks could be launched quickly and blend into the heavy maritime traffic that normally flows through the strait.

The risks for any naval force operating in the region are enormous. Retired Royal Navy commander Tom Sharpe noted that the loss of even a single destroyer in the conflict would dramatically escalate the situation, potentially leading to heavy casualties and a wider regional war.

At the same time, uncertainty remains about the extent of Iran’s current actions in the waterway. U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said earlier this month that there was no clear evidence Iran had mined the strait, despite reports suggesting that several mines may have been deployed.

Some analysts believe that restoring safe passage will require a prolonged campaign combining mine-clearing operations, naval escorts, and continuous aerial surveillance. Even then, it could take months before shipping companies regain confidence in the route.

Experts say weakening the threat posed by Iran’s Revolutionary Guard forces will likely be a gradual process requiring sustained military pressure and diplomatic engagement. Until then, the Strait of Hormuz remains one of the most volatile flashpoints in the global energy system, with disruptions there capable of sending shockwaves through financial markets and supply chains around the world.