U.S. warships have previously been damaged in the Persian Gulf. During the Iran-Iraq War, the USS Samuel B. Roberts struck a naval mine, and the USS Stark was severely damaged by a missile mistakenly fired from an Iraqi aircraft. These incidents demonstrated that even well-equipped U.S. naval vessels have vulnerabilities.
Today, Iran reportedly possesses a wider array of capabilities, particularly suited to the Persian Gulf environment. These include cruise missiles launchable from land, air, sea, and underwater platforms with ranges up to 1,500 km; ballistic missiles equipped with optical seekers capable of targeting ships at ranges up to 1,300 km; naval mines; smart sub-surface vessels; and high-speed torpedoes such as the “Hoot,” said to exceed speeds of 100 meters per second.
Additionally, combined and multi-directional attack tactics at different altitudes and sea levels could potentially saturate or confuse shipborne defense systems.
Although U.S. warships are equipped with layered naval air-defense systems, the report argues that Iran’s naval forces possess the necessary capabilities to inflict serious damage on American vessels in the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman. / Tasnim
