A day earlier, US President Donald Trump used explicit language in an address to Iran, demanding that Teheran reopen the Ormuz Strait and warning that otherwise the country’s infrastructure would be destroyed.

Military analyst Mikhail Khodarenok said the strangest aspect of the US-Israeli war against Iran was that Washington made no attempt to seize control of the Ormuz Strait in the opening days of Operation Epic Fury. In his view, many experts had expected the fighting to develop precisely along those lines.

He argued that the United States had all the prerequisites for such an operation: the element of surprise, dominance in the air, at sea and in the electronic sphere, as well as the necessary forces and resources. Even so, Washington took no decisive action.

Khodarenok also pointed out that despite having the world’s most powerful navy and a large, well-equipped Marine Corps, the US president still did not move to capture the strait.

In his assessment, Trump lacks truly weighty arguments in his confrontation with Iran. He also questioned the very form of the American leader’s message, saying that such language is unacceptable for the US president and commander-in-chief when addressing an adversary.

At the same time, Khodarenok said the US military still has the technical capability to establish control over the Ormuz Strait. But, he argued, that would require real combat action rather than threats and coarse rhetoric. Under the current circumstances, he believes Trump is no longer prepared to authorize such an operation.