> If you want to secure even 5 miles inland over 1000 miles, that's 50,000 square miles

If you want to secure the entire Strait, sure. My understanding is you'd only seek to hold the area around the Musandam Peninsula, along with a couple of the islands near it.

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bluegatty 7 hours ago | parent [-]

The entire gulf is at risk. Iran can interdict and cause problems from almost anywhere.

Granted it may not have to be 'the whole thing' but something like it.

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JumpCrisscross 5 hours ago | parent [-]

> entire gulf is at risk. Iran can interdict and cause problems from almost anywhere

Sure, but its effect is far more dilute. In the Strait–in particular, around the Musandam Peninsula–it has unique geostrategic leverage.

	▲	matusp 5 hours ago \| parent \| next [-]
		However dilute the effect is, if they are able to hit a few gas/oil carriers with drones there, nobody is going to use that body of water.
	▲	bluegatty 2 hours ago \| parent \| prev [-]
		'matsup' is correct. Iran only needs to score 'one point' to win the whole game. If they can threaten tankers, then the gulf will remain closed, and that's that. It's really debatable if the US really has the capability to play 'whack a mole' and get all the moles.