How US Marines could reopen the Strait of Hormuz — and break the blockade

The Strait of Hormuz is not just an oil tanker passage.  It’s a key waterway in global trade. 

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) uses a brutally simple playbook here: squeeze the world economy through this narrow gate — and control the gate.

At just 39 km wide at its narrowest, shipping is funneled into two tight lanes, each about 2 miles across. 

Giant tankers have almost no room to manoeuvre, making them easy targets when they enter this gate. 

Enter the Marines

How to open Hormuz? Currently, the IRGC dominates key islands in and around Hormuz — Larak, Qeshm, and Abu Musa — effectively turning them into armed fortresses.

It forms part of IRGC’s layered “area denial” strategy. In a conflict scenario, reopening the Strait of Hormuz – the “gate” where nearly 20% of global oil flows – poses a major challenge.

Ground and coast operations

The risk-laden ground and coast operations will most likely fall on the shoulders of the US Marine Corps.

A US Navy warship carrying Marines is reportedly now off to the Hormuz Strait, after crossing the Malacca Strait off Singapore, CNN reported, citing maritime tracking data. 

The Okinawa-based 31st US Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) -- a rapid-response force of 2,200 personnel, is reported off to Gulf of Oman theater, following a reported deployment order from the Pentagon.

It is led by the amphibious assault ship USS Tripoli (departed Okinawa, Japan on March 11), based on AIS tracking data.

Once in place, the Marines are not doing it alone — it would be a joint fight led by the US Navy, with Marines playing a fast, surgical, and highly strategic role. 

Possible role of the Marines in Hormuz

Their key role: controlling key terrain, neutralising coastal threats, and enabling naval forces to safely clear and secure the waterway.

Realistically, here’s how the US Marines would realistically contribute:

#1. Seizing, securing key coastal terrain

The narrow geography of Hormuz means whoever controls the coastline controls the fight. Marines — especially expeditionary units — could:

• Conduct amphibious or heliborne assaults to seize Iranian missile and radar sites along the coast

• Capture small but strategic islands used for surveillance or anti-ship weapons

• Establish forward positions to deny Iran the ability to target shipping lanes

These operations would likely involve units like Marine Expeditionary Units (MEUs), trained for rapid deployment and coastal warfare.

#2. Destroying anti-ship missile threats

Iran’s primary leverage in Hormuz comes from land-based IRGC anti-ship missiles.

Marines can:

• Deploy long-range precision fires (e.g., HIMARS) from captured or allied territory

• Conduct raids to destroy mobile missile launchers

• Use drones and forward observers to locate and target hidden systems

This reduces the threat envelope so Navy ships and commercial vessels can pass safely.

#3. Supporting Mine Countermeasure (MCM) operations

One of the biggest threats in Hormuz is naval mining.

While the US Navy handles mine-clearing, Marines help by:

• Securing nearby coastlines to prevent further mine-laying

• Establishing staging areas for mine countermeasure ships and helicopters

• Providing force protection for vulnerable clearing operations

Without Marines locking down the shore, mine-clearing becomes far more dangerous.

#4. Expeditionary Advanced Base Operations (EABO)

This is where Marines are evolving the most.

Under EABO doctrine, they would:

• Set up small, mobile bases across islands and coastlines

• Deploy anti-ship missiles to create “counter-denial zones”

• Use sensors to track Iranian naval and drone movements

In effect, Marines would flip the script — denying Iran the ability to deny the strait.

#5. Special operations and raids

Marine Raiders (MARSOC) could:

• Conduct covert raids on high-value targets (missile depots, drone hubs)

• Disrupt command-and-control networks

• Coordinate with allied and proxy forces in the region

These actions would degrade Iran’s ability to sustain a blockade.

#6. Protecting Commercial Shipping

Once the immediate threat is reduced, Marines may:

• Deploy aboard vessels or escort ships for security

• Secure critical ports and oil terminals in nearby allied states

• Assist in humanitarian or evacuation missions if the conflict spills over

'Cleaning' Hormuz Strait

Marines don’t “clear” necessarily the strait — they make it possible to clear and keep open. By removing coastal threats, seizing key terrain, and supporting naval dominance, they enable the broader joint force to restore freedom of navigation.

In a Hormuz scenario, the decisive advantage comes from integration: Marines on the shore, the Navy at sea, and airpower overhead — all working to dismantle Iran’s layered denial strategy and reopen one of the world’s most critical arteries.