Battle to Reopen Strait of Hormuz Begins With US Air Strikes, Allies Deploying Apaches

U.S. jets and allied Apaches have begun targeting Iranian vessels and drones in the Strait of Hormuz as coalition efforts intensify to restore maritime flow.

U.S. Navy F/A-18 Super Hornets, assigned to the Harry S. Truman Carrier Strike Group, fly a mission over the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility on March 3, 2025. Staff Sgt. Jackson Manske/U.S. Air Force

The battle to reopen the Strait of Hormuz has begun, with Pentagon officials announcing the launch of an offensive with the support of allies to reopen the critical oil shipping waterway that Iran has blocked in a bid to weaponize energy and other key commodity shipments in the ongoing conflict.

U.S. forces have deployed low-flying jets and Apache helicopters to strike Iranian vessels in the Strait of Hormuz, with some U.S. allies assisting by using Apaches to take on Iranian attack drones, Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, said during a March 19 press briefing.