Three weeks into the US-Israel war with Iran, the Strait of Hormuz remains closed — and reopening it may be far harder and slower than many may realize. Dmitri Alperovitch talks to RADM Mark Montgomery (Ret.), who has transited the strait 25+ times and lays out what it will actually take, why Kharg Island is a distraction, and the possible uncomfortable timeline for return to normalcy.

00:00 Introduction

01:09 Threat Environment in the Strait of Hormuz

03:37 Military Strategies for Reopening the Strait

05:19 Cruise Missile Threat

11:43 Tackling the Mine Problem

19:57 Convoy Operations in the Persian Gulf

26:43 Kharg Island

31:41 How long to return of normal traffic in the Gulf?

36:14 The Endgame 42:20 The Houthi problem