Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) warned Tuesday that any serious U.S. effort to control the Strait of Hormuz would require a massive military commitment, telling Bloomberg’s “Balance of Power” that such a move would likely mean deploying “a couple hundred thousand troops” — something he does not believe President Donald Trump is prepared to do.
Paul argued that recent developments have left the United States in a weaker position, not a stronger one. He said that while concerns about militarizing the strategic waterway have circulated for decades, the situation had not reached that point before. “Now the Strait of Hormuz is militarized,” Paul said, adding that, in his view, “we’re worse off.”
The Kentucky Republican acknowledged that some believe the current pressure could give Washington more leverage in negotiations over Iran’s nuclear program. But Paul sounded skeptical, saying he sees Iranian leaders “dragging their heels” while calculating that the U.S. is unlikely to send ground forces into the region. He said his preferred outcome would be for the Strait of Hormuz to reopen and for Iran to exchange enriched uranium for sanctions relief, but he cautioned that he does not believe the two sides are moving closer to that result.
Paul also noted that supporters of the current strategy may argue that the United States is better positioned to secure a deal trading sanctions relief for the removal of enriched uranium, though he made clear he remains unconvinced.
