US Strategy to Attack Iran's Bridges to Electricity Network

US military/DOK USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72)

JAKARTA - American precision attacks on bridges, railway junctions, and Iranian electricity networks connecting major coastal cities seem to indicate a broader pattern of Washington to seize control of the Strait of Hormuz from Tehran.

According to Iranian affairs analyst Hamidreza Azizi, the strategy behind the attacks is to disrupt the logistics and mobility of Iranian military forces in the southern region. Azizi also argues that this step could be a preparation for a possible deployment of ground forces.

For six consecutive days, the US launched a wave of attacks on Iranian coastal targets - the most intense since the April ceasefire - by hitting missile storage and launch sites, air defense systems, and coastal surveillance facilities; all of these facilities strengthen Iran's control over shipping traffic in the Strait of Hormuz.

"The intensification of attacks on infrastructure to cut off logistical supplies, while targeting radar installations and naval facilities of the current Revolutionary Guards, suggests that the military operation may "go beyond merely weakening Iran's ability to threaten shipping in the Strait of Hormuz," said Azizi.

"This can actually indicate that Washington views the domination of Iran's southern coastal areas as the only sure solution to overcome challenges related to the Strait of Hormuz," he continued.

Officials said this week the destruction of targets such as missile launchers and radars could also pave the way for larger-scale US military operations being considered by Trump.

The US has launched daily attacks on Iranian positions along the Strait of Hormuz, including an attack on Wednesday on the Greater Tunb Island - a small island in the Strait of Hormuz that has long been a base for the Iranian military.