U.S. Just Did Something BRUTAL To Unlock Hormuz... Now IRGC's Trap BACKFIRED (transcript provided)

The geopolitical tension in the Middle East has just reached a boiling point as Iran's asymmetric strategy to blockade the Strait of Hormuz spectacularly backfires. Attempting to trigger a global energy crisis, the IRGC deployed Maham-class sea mines, kamikaze drones, and fast-attack boat swarms to choke the world’s most vital oil transit route. But the United States and its allies were ready.

In a devastating two-phased military campaign dubbed "Operation Epic Fury," the U.S. Navy and Air Force completely dismantled the Iranian blockade. The response was brutal: GBU-72 bunker-buster bombs obliterated underground missile silos, while legendary A-10 Warthogs and Apache helicopters rained fire on IRGC surface swarms.

The ultimate blow to Tehran's strategy came when a precision strike successfully eliminated Admiral Alireza Tangsiri, the commander of the IRGC Navy, effectively decapitating the brain behind the blockade.

Now, under the absolute air supremacy of the U.S., an international coalition led by the UK is deploying highly classified autonomous surface vessels (GARCs) and unmanned mine-hunting drones to clear the deadly waters. While the immediate conventional threat has been neutralized and transit is slowly resuming, the hidden danger of remaining sea mines keeps the global energy market on high alert.

Watch this full OSINT military breakdown to understand how the U.S. unleashed Operation Epic Fury and shattered Iran's ultimate naval trap!

IRAN has played its last trump card: the tactic of mining the Strait of Hormuz. As part of this terrifying strategy, at least 12 Maham 3 and Maham 7 limpet mines were laid. Iran was pursuing what it believed was a flawless plan. At first, they appeared to succeed.

However, the firepower Washington brought to the table was of a kind that would overshadow even the darkest nightmares. The US war machine, operating at full capacity, unleashed a devastating aerial bombardment storm that tore through the sky. The legendary A-10 Warthog’s deadly 30mm cannons pounded the dark waters of the Strait of Hormuz, and Iran’s plan to choke the global economy had already sunk to the bottom.

In fact, a deployment was made that could rewrite the strait’s fate. The US military was aware that it could not secure control of the region through air operations alone. In this context, it surprised Iran by making an asymmetric move directly from the sea surface.

In an official statement to Reuters on March 26th, Pentagon spokesperson Tim Hawkins confirmed for the first time that unmanned drone boats were patrolling the Strait of Hormuz during Operation Epic Fury. The US had deployed robotic speedboats to the Gulf. According to many experts, the time for this had long since come.

The new player deployed to the field was the GARK, a 5-meter-long autonomous speedboat produced by Maryland-based Black Sea Technologies. These vessels, capable of fully autonomous navigation, patrolled for over 450 hours during the operation. They can also travel over 2,200 nautical miles.

The primary missions of these vessels were surveillance and providing early warning. However, when necessary, they can also be used as direct kamikaze attack vehicles against Iran’s fast attack boats. Early in the conflict, Iran had attacked oil tankers twice using naval drones. The US had faced criticism for being slow to respond to this asymmetric threat. But with the deployment of these autonomous vessels, it finally began to play its own game.

As this new autonomous shield on the sea surface came into play, the truly devastating blow was about to come from the sky. As we reached the end of March, during this critical phase, Trump issued the order for the final decisive strike to fully reopen the Strait of Hormuz. The preparation for this order was carried out as part of a massive plan.

The US launched one of the heaviest and most extensive aerial bombardment operations in its history. Iran’s capacity to block the strait began to crumble within hours. This story is not merely a tale of war. It has become a turning point determining the fate of global energy security, because Donald Trump had to, in some way, reopen the Strait of Hormuz to global logistics.

In pursuit of this goal, the US executed perhaps the most effective move since the onset of this crisis. A deep silence reigned along the Iranian coast of the Strait of Hormuz. But this silence was the calm before the storm, because at that very moment, US bomber aircraft had set their course toward Iran’s most heavily fortified underground facilities.

The target was crystal clear: missile silos and weapons depots belonging to the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps, buried deep within mountain slopes. These were no ordinary facilities. They had been under construction for decades and were reinforced with thick layers of concrete and rock. It was nearly impossible to destroy them with conventional bombs.

But the weapon that made its debut that night was anything but conventional. The GBU-72 Advanced 5,000 lb Penetrator, a new generation bunker-busting bomb developed by the US Air Force. Weighing exactly 5,000 pounds (approximately 2,270 kg) and equipped with GPS and INS guidance systems, this bomb can reach its target with an accuracy of just a few meters, day or night, regardless of clouds or smoke.

This advantage was fully reflected in that high-risk area in the Strait of Hormuz. Multiple bombs of this type were dropped on hardened targets along the northern shore of the strait. These targets were underground caves where Iran stored its anti-ship cruise missiles. Deadly missiles like the Nour, Qader, and Abu Mahdi, which fly at sea level to target ships, were hidden there.

The Nour is the Iranian version of China’s C-802 missile and has a range of 120 to 170 km. The Qader, an upgraded version of the Nour, covers a wide area of the strait with a range of 200 to 300 km. The Abu Mahdi is the most dangerous of the three. With a range exceeding 1,000 km, it can even strike ships in the Gulf of Oman.

However, these military assets were crushed under the weight of US air strikes in the Strait of Hormuz. Iranian mobile launchers, missile radar relays, and intelligence support points were also part of the target list. The GBU-72, after being dropped from high altitude, accelerated using kinetic energy and struck the target. Its thick steel body penetrated concrete and rock. It has the capacity to penetrate over 60 meters of soil or over 20 meters of reinforced concrete. Thanks to its delayed fuse, it detonated only after fully penetrating the target. The shock wave collapsed the underground structures from within. Iran’s decades-old underground infrastructure was reduced to rubble in a single night.

CENTCOM commander Admiral Brad Cooper made the statement very clear: Iran’s capacity to threaten shipping traffic in the Strait of Hormuz has been significantly weakened. According to Admiral Cooper, Iran’s missile stockpile has been reduced by 90%. Their fleets were rendered immobile. This was a military revolution that unfolded in a single night, and the GBU-72 had made history by being used in a real war for the first time.

But according to the US, this was not enough to restore security to the Strait of Hormuz. Because even though Iran’s underground silos and missile launchpads had been destroyed, there were still threats moving on the surface of the strait—small but extremely deadly threats.

Just two days after the GBU-72 made its combat debut, the US announced its second move. During a briefing at the Pentagon, US Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman, Air Force General Dan Kane, clearly highlighted this second striking element. He was referring to the A-10 Thunderbolt II, the legendary aircraft known to everyone as the Warthog.

The new mission of this platform, designed in the 1970s, was critical in the Strait of Hormuz. The targets of these aircraft in the second phase of the attack were IRGC-affiliated fast attack boats. These small but agile vessels operated using swarm tactics. Dozens of boats could simultaneously attack a tanker from different angles. Attacks were being carried out at close range against commercial ships passing through the strait, particularly oil tankers.

The A-10 Warthog was the ideal weapon against this asymmetric maritime threat. At the heart of the A-10 lies a 30mm 7-barreled rotary cannon, the GAU-8 Avenger. It can fire 3,900 rounds per minute. Its armor-piercing rounds can shred a small, fast attack boat in seconds.

But the A-10’s true power doesn’t come solely from its cannon. This aircraft’s most critical feature is its ability to fly low and slow. It flies at propeller-driven aircraft speeds, not jet speeds. This allows it to patrol the target area for hours on end. It can also carry AGM-65 Maverick missiles and rockets as secondary weapons. In other words, the A-10 serves as both a long-endurance surveillance platform and a combat machine capable of delivering immediate firepower.

According to CENTCOM’s official statement, A-10s were using all these game-changing capabilities to hunt down and destroy Iranian boats in the Strait of Hormuz. Additionally, AH-64E Apache attack helicopters were operating in full coordination with the A-10s, using Hellfire missiles and 30mm cannons. They were taking out mobile threats near the coast one by one.

This dual combination completely neutralized Iran’s swarm tactics. The small boat fleet, which had previously blocked 27% of strait traffic, began suffering heavy losses. The IRGC’s hundreds of fast attack boats had now become targets themselves. Moreover, the A-10’s long loiter time allowed mine-sweeping ships to operate much more safely, because while the A-10s were in the air, no Iranian boat could surface to lay mines.

This aircraft became the second key weapon to unlock the Strait of Hormuz.

But the operation’s impact was not limited to the destruction of military vehicles on the ground. The key figure directing the weapons and tactical maneuvers was also eliminated. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced to the world the critical nighttime operation that altered the course of the crisis in the Strait of Hormuz.

Admiral Alireza Tangsiri, commander of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy, was killed in an Israeli air strike carried out in the strategic port city of Bandar Abbas in southern Iran. This was no ordinary military casualty. Tangsiri was the highest-ranking Iranian officer directly responsible for the closure of the Strait of Hormuz and mine-laying operations.

Katz presented this operation as a sign of their close partnership with President Donald Trump and sent a very clear message to the Iranian leadership: “We will track you down one by one.” Confirmation of this strategic move soon came from US Central Command as well. CENTCOM commander Admiral Brad Cooper noted that Tangsiri had harassed the crews of thousands of innocent merchant ships over the past eight years and attacked hundreds of vessels with kamikaze drones.US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth meanwhile summarized the current situation in a single clear sentence during a cabinet meeting with President Trump: “Iran no longer has a navy or a naval commander.” Hegseth’s remarks also explained the context behind the dominance of A-10s and Apaches in the skies. These critical air assets are carrying out strategic strike missions whenever they choose in Iranian airspace and the Strait of Hormuz.

Following this two-phase wave of attacks, the situation changed dramatically. In the first phase, GBU-72s destroyed Iran’s underground missile and weapons depots. In the second phase, A-10 Warthogs and Apache helicopters eliminated surface-based mobile threats.

However, these flawless operations, which were of immense strategic importance in opening the Strait of Hormuz, were certainly not carried out overnight. They were preceded by a systematic bombing campaign that lasted for weeks. Under Operation Epic Fury, long-range bomber aircraft have taken the lead so far.B-2 Spirit stealth bombers carried out nighttime strikes on Iran’s ballistic missile facilities. B-2s departing from the US mainland conducted 37-hour non-stop flights with in-flight refueling. Thanks to stealth technology, Iran’s air defense systems were unable to detect them. The B-2s struck Iran’s deep underground facilities with 2,000 lb penetrator bombs and GBU-57s.Meanwhile, B-1B Lancers have been heavily deployed since early March. Through 34-hour global strike missions, they dealt heavy blows to Iran’s anti-ship missile depots. Their supersonic speed and massive payload capacity made the B-1B indispensable in this operation. They used precision-guided GBU-series bombs against batteries and underground silos along the Hormuz coast.

The B-52 Stratofortress also joined the bombing campaign starting March 3rd. These aircraft struck Iran’s drone depots, torpedo production facilities, and coastal launchpads. The B-52’s ability to remain airborne for hours created continuous pressure over Iran.

In total, over 9,000 targets were struck. More than 100 Iranian ships and small boats were destroyed. These figures alone demonstrate the sheer scale of the operation. The results of this massive air bombardment began to be seen on the ground very quickly.

Iran’s biggest trump card in the Strait of Hormuz was its shore-launched anti-ship missiles. Cruise missiles such as the Nour, Qader, Nasr, and Abu Mahdi turned every tanker passing through the strait into a potential target. Add to this Iran’s capacity to produce thousands of drones, Shahed-type kamikaze UAVs, and explosive-laden unmanned surface vehicles. This was the threat map the US faced in the Strait of Hormuz.

But with the GBU-72s destroying underground storage facilities, the stockpiles of these missiles decreased dramatically. Mobile launchers were hunted down one by one. Radar networks were systematically taken offline. Intelligence support points were bombed. Drone launchpads and unmanned surface vehicle bases were also on the target list. From mid-March to the present, these facilities have been destroyed one by one.

This was the heaviest blow to Iran’s Strait blockade doctrine, which it had been building for over 40 years. Iran’s most strategic weapons remained buried in their own underground bunkers.

So, what does Iran have left after all this? The IRGC’s underground silos, mobile launchers, and radar networks in the Strait of Hormuz were largely destroyed. Drone launch pads and unmanned maritime vehicle bases were systematically struck. Iran’s coastal batteries, which could have rained fire on the strait before the war, are now silent.

Iran’s long-developed doctrine of closing the Strait of Hormuz was shattered within a few weeks. Yet, despite all this, Iran was demanding a $2 million transit fee from some tankers passing through the strait. While allowing its own oil and ships from friendly nations to pass, it was blocking others. Ships linked to the US and Israel were completely banned. This demonstrated that Iran was using the strait not only as a military weapon but also as an economic one.

The US bombardment also weakened this economic pressure tool. But the story doesn’t end here. Iran still possesses asymmetric weapons. The remaining hidden mobile launchers, stockpiled drones, and most critically, the mines laid in the strait are still awaiting clearance. Mine-clearing operations are expected to take weeks. Iran’s capacity to produce thousands of drones monthly remains intact.

Thus, even though Iran has largely lost its conventional military capabilities, it maintains its risk potential, particularly in the Strait of Hormuz, through cheap and mass-producible asymmetric assets.

However, the overall picture remains optimistic for now. This two-phase air operation conducted by the US using GBU-72 bombs and A-10 Warthog aircraft dealt one of the heaviest blows in history to Iran’s strategy of risking the Strait of Hormuz. The direct missile and drone threat to ships passing through the strait has decreased to a level incomparable to that before the operation. Iran’s stockpile of missiles and drones capable of targeting ships has been largely depleted due to the collapse of underground tunnels and the destruction of launch pads.

CENTCOM commander Admiral Brad Cooper explicitly confirmed this during a briefing on March 23rd: “The lock on the Strait of Hormuz hasn’t been fully opened yet, but the majority of the locking mechanism has been shattered.” In the short term, it is expected that 60 to 70% of strait traffic will return to normal. While 138 ships passed through daily before the war, this number had dropped to just three by March 17th. By the end of March, the number of daily ship crossings had reached around 15. This is still well below normal, but the upward trend is clear.

So, is a scenario of full normalization in the strait possible? To answer this, we need to look at what military preparations the US allies are making in the Strait of Hormuz.

President Trump’s clear and firm calls to allies have begun to yield results. A critical diplomatic development occurred on March 19th, 2026. The leaders of the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Japan, and Canada issued a joint statement. They explicitly condemned Iran’s efforts to lay mines, launch drone attacks, and block the strait. They announced to the world that they were prepared to make appropriate contributions to ensure safe passage.

It was not just these seven countries. A total of 22 countries pledged to provide support in the Strait of Hormuz. This was not merely a diplomatic gesture. Concrete military planning had begun.

The UK became the coalition’s vanguard. The Royal Navy officially confirmed plans to deploy unmanned mine-hunting drones and autonomous surface vehicles. These robotic systems detect and neutralize Iranian mines from a safe distance. They trigger the mines using acoustic and magnetic signature mimicry, causing controlled detonations. Submarine clearance can be conducted without putting human lives at risk.

Energy Secretary Ed Miliband clearly stated that every option, including mine-hunting drones, is being examined. The UK’s new generation autonomous mine-hunting fleet was set to deploy in the Strait of Hormuz for the first time. In addition, the Type 45 destroyer HMS Dragon was deployed to the eastern Mediterranean. British bases were made available for US air strikes and GBU-72 strikes. British military experts were sent to the region to coordinate directly with US forces.

This is where London’s main contribution lies: technology-assisted mine clearance. While the US strikes from the air, British drones eliminate the invisible threat beneath the sea.

So, what are your thoughts on this? Could the US’s massive air operation permanently unlock the Strait of Hormuz? Or could Iran continue to employ asymmetric tactics? We look forward to your comments.

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