Retired U.S. Army Lt. Gen. Keith Kellogg told Newsmax on Wednesday that the Strait of Hormuz is already "passable," but warned the Trump administration must act decisively to secure global shipping lanes amid heightened tensions with Iran.
"It's passable now. They just have to have the courage to do it," Kellogg told "Rob Schmitt Tonight." "We have the capability to do it.
"We just have to have the confidence to be able to pull it off."
The Strait of Hormuz, a narrow waterway between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula, is one of the world's most crucial chokepoints, with a significant share of global oil shipments passing through it. Recent U.S. strikes targeting Iranian anti-ship missile systems have raised questions about whether commercial traffic can safely resume.
Kellogg said those strikes appear to be "softening up the targets," particularly around Bandar Abbas and other strategic sites such as Kharg Island.
"If you take Kharg Island and you can secure the Strait of Hormuz, then you're in great shape," he said.
He noted the geographic constraints of the strait make security operations crucial and manageable.
"It's basically 25 miles wide, but the shipping lanes are only 2 miles wide each way," Kellogg said. "You make sure they're not mined. You make sure there's no shore-to-ship missiles out there."
To reopen the route, Kellogg outlined a show-of-force strategy modeled on past U.S. operations.
"The first time you do, it would be a maximum effort. You put aircraft above the shipping lane. You have escort ships," he said. "Get a couple ships through there and you're good to go."
He pointed to Operation Earnest Will in the 1980s, when U.S. forces escorted tankers during the Iran-Iraq War, as a precedent. He also compared the approach to "thunder runs" into Baghdad, where U.S. troops pushed through hostile territory despite known risks.
"War is a two-way street. The other side gets to dance too," Kellogg said, acknowledging the prospects of Iranian retaliation. "The first couple of times you're going to get some type of hostile action ... and just accept that."
Still, he argued the risk is necessary to restore stability.
"We have the capacity and the capability to punch through there," Kellogg said. "And we need to do it. We need to show them that."
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