US has capability to control Strait of Hormuz by force, says ex-CENTCOM chief

Retired Gen. Frank McKenzie, former commander of U.S. Central Command, asserted that the United States has the military capability to control the Strait of Hormuz by force, should the president decide to pursue that course of action. He expressed support for the president's efforts to achieve a diplomatic and political solution but noted that Iran generally responds only to military force and extreme pressure.

“

Well, Margaret, we certainly have the capability to control the Strait of Hormuz if the president chooses to follow that course of action.

McKenzie elaborated on potential military options, stating that the U.S. could open and maintain control of the Strait of Hormuz. He also suggested seizing Kharg Island, an Iranian territory, as a potentially significant factor in future negotiations. "We have the capability to do that," McKenzie said, emphasizing that these options remain on the table should the president choose to employ them.

“

Look, what he's been trying to do is get to a diplomatic and a political solution here, which I applaud, and I think we should all want to see as the final end state.

Addressing the complexities of U.S. messaging, McKenzie explained that the president's desire for a deal does not negate the military's readiness. He clarified that while CENTCOM states forces are positioned to ensure freedom of navigation, full control of the Strait has not yet been achieved because all necessary capabilities have not been deployed. "We certainly can do that," he said, noting that it would involve deploying warships into narrow waters, a task the U.S. Navy is capable of executing.

“

Nonetheless, the fact of the matter is the Iranians generally only respond to military force and to extreme pressure.

McKenzie returned to a fundamental principle of Iranian statecraft: regime preservation. He argued that to gain concessions from Iran, direct pressure on the regime, potentially perceived as existential, is necessary. "We have those capabilities should the president choose to go that way," he concluded.

“

What we're talking about is modifying the- the views and actions of an extreme hardli- hardline regime, that is possible. We have the capability to do that.