Tankers in Strait of Hormuz face two-week blockage - report

Naval warfare experts said the U.S. destroyers and jets needed for the escorts through the Strait of Hormuz would not be available immediately, given their role in the attacks on Iran, Financial Times reported.

An escort operation would be “hard but doable”, said Mark Montgomery, a former U.S. aircraft carrier strike group commander.

He estimated it would take up to two weeks before conditions were favourable and would “cause a reduction in the amount of strike[s] the US could carry out”.

Joshua Tallis, at the Center for Naval Analyses, said it was “unlikely” that the U.S. Navy would be able to defend commercial vessels “over the next seven to 10 days”.

Escorts would come “only after the initial phase of major hostilities”, he added, and when more Iranian anti-ship capabilities had been destroyed.

The White House did not respond to a request for details on U.S. President Donald Trump’s plan.