The blockade of the Strait of Hormuz is becoming a strategic problem for the US President Donald Trump. After Iranian forces apparently Thousands of sea mines in the strait one of the world’s most important energy transport routes has been largely paralyzed.

For military expert Carlo Masala, the situation shows one thing above all: the USA has underestimated the possible consequences of its own military strategy.

Carlo Masala: Trump’s “shock and awe” strategy was a miscalculation

In an interview in the FOCUS online Iran studio, Masala says that there is much to suggest that the USA expected the Iranian regime to collapse quickly.

“I think that from an American perspective it has been thought that if you bomb Iran completely from the air for three or four days, then that regime will collapse and will not be able to fight back.”

This logic is very reminiscent of the principle of “shock and awe” in the Iraq War in 1991 – that is, massive air strikes that are intended to render the enemy incapable of action. But according to Masala, this assumption apparently turned out to be a miscalculation.

Strait of Hormuz blocked: race against time

From a military perspective, it is particularly irritating that the Strait of Hormuz was not taken more into account in the planning. After all, there had been a massive American deployment of navy and air force in the region for weeks. The fact that the risk of a blockade could have been underestimated raises questions for the security expert.

Now the global economy is facing a real problem. The Strait of Hormuz is one of the most important routes for the transportation of oil and LNG gas. If it remains blocked, there is a risk of significant turbulence on the energy markets.

In the short term, states are trying to take countermeasures. The G7 announced measures; Germany, for example, is drawing on national oil reserves. But according to Masala, these instruments only have a limited effect. The longer the strait remains closed, the more difficult it will be to stabilize the price of oil.

Mine Clearance: How the US Must Neutralize Sea Mines

From a military perspective, there is hardly any way around a solution: the passage must be secured – if necessary through complex mine-clearing operations. Specialized mine divers can neutralize mines, explains Masala. But how long this takes depends on one crucial factor:

“If the Strait of Hormuz has really been mined, then we will have to live with it being closed for a few more weeks.”