US troops and aircraft operate around Strait of Hormuz
Updated
Updated · The Wall Street Journal · May 5
US troops and aircraft operate around Strait of Hormuz
6 articles · Updated · The Wall Street Journal · May 5
General Dan Caine said more than 15,000 American service members and over 100 manned and unmanned aircraft are deployed there around the clock.
He said the force includes jet fighters and attack aircraft and has established localised air and sea control in the strategic waterway.
The deployment is aimed at protecting shipping and regional operations against Iranian threats in one of the world's most important oil transit chokepoints.
With its forces strained and bases vulnerable, is the massive US military operation in the Gulf becoming an unsustainable trap?
Is the mission to secure the strait inadvertently pushing the world closer to a full-scale regional war?
May 2026 Strait of Hormuz Crisis: KC-135 Emergency, Project Freedom, and Escalating U.S.-Iran Conflict
Overview
On May 5, 2026, a U.S. KC-135 Stratotanker declared an emergency and disappeared over the Persian Gulf amid escalating tensions. The day before, Project Freedom successfully escorted two American merchant ships through the Strait of Hormuz, prompting Iran to launch missiles, drones, and speedboats against U.S. naval forces. The U.S. responded by neutralizing these threats, but the confrontation endangered the mission and triggered a sharp rise in oil prices and market turmoil. Meanwhile, Iran's ongoing blockade and naval mine deployment have severely disrupted global trade, trapping thousands of vessels and causing widespread shortages. Diplomatic talks have stalled, and fears of full-scale conflict loom as the fragile ceasefire weakens under persistent hostilities.