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“Ronaldus Magnus sent several carriers through both the Straits of Hormuz”

Funny, I don’t remember seeing them. I do remember briefings at which it was said that no carriers would be transiting the Strait of Hormuz.

Funny, I don’t remember seeing them. I do remember briefings at which it was said that no carriers would be transiting the Strait of Hormuz.

That's correct. The first time the US put big-deck CV/CVNs through the Strait and into the PG was following the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait in the Summer of 1990, which was on the first President Bush's watch. I think that one was the USS Independence or maybe Ike. During Desert Storm we had four carrier groups (Theodore Roosevelt, Midway, Ranger and America) operating in the PG. Plus the two Battleships. Plus all the gators. With the Sovs on the sidelines at that point and the Iranians not being suicidal, we felt it was an acceptable risk to do so. There were, however, SIGNIFICANT problems with operating four carriers and airgroups within such a confined space.

Before that USN SOP was NOT to put the big decks into the PG. For Preying Mantis and Eagle Claw (the botched Iranian Hostage rescue mission) the carriers involved (Enterprise for Preying Mantis, Coral Sea and Nimitz for Eagle Claw) had stayed South of the Strait.