The U.S. Airstrike on Iran's Anti-Ship Missile Base Near the Strait of Hormuz: Experts Say "Bunker Busters" Struggle to Break the Strait's Blockade

[Global Times Special Correspondent Wu Yan, Global Times Reporter Ma Jun] Since the United States and Israel launched a large-scale attack on Iran, the timing of when the Strait of Hormuz can be navigated has become the most pressing concern for the United States. To break Iran's blockade of the strait, the U.S. Central Command stated on the 17th that it used highly penetrating "bunker buster bombs" to strike Iranian anti-ship missile bases near the Strait of Hormuz. However, experts interviewed by the Global Times indicated that Iran's methods for blocking the Strait of Hormuz are diverse and have already been widely deployed, making it difficult for the U.S. military to resolve the issue solely through airstrikes.

The U.S. Central Command claimed in its statement that U.S. forces used multiple 5,000-pound bunker buster bombs to target Iranian missile positions along the coast of the Strait of Hormuz. It was noted that the 5,000-pound bunker buster bombs in the U.S. arsenal are known as "bunker busters" and are among the most powerful conventional munitions in the U.S. military's inventory, designed to attack fortified facilities or underground bunkers. They mainly include the GBU-28 and GBU-72/B series. The GBU-72/B can be seen as an upgraded version of the GBU-28, utilizing GPS/inertial navigation systems for guidance, eliminating the need for laser guidance, and possessing all-weather, standoff precision strike capabilities, allowing aircraft to deploy them at greater distances and in harsher weather conditions, thereby enhancing survivability. Due to the heavy weight of the 5,000-pound bunker buster bombs, the U.S. military primarily uses B-1B, B-2 strategic bombers, and F-15E "Strike Eagle" fighter jets for aerial delivery.

The Pentagon believes that Iran's diverse range of anti-ship missiles is one of its main weapons for blocking the Strait of Hormuz. According to previous reports from Iranian media, Iran has constructed "underground missile cities" in various locations across the country, located tens of meters or even deeper underground, to store various missiles. This includes missile storage facilities near the Strait of Hormuz.

Experts have stated that it is currently unclear how effective U.S. bunker buster bombs will be against Iran's underground missile bases, but Iran has many means at its disposal to block the Strait of Hormuz, including drones, anti-ship missiles, artillery, armed speedboats, and suicide drones, most of which have already been widely deployed, with many hidden in underground bunkers. CNN also believes that it is difficult to completely eliminate these weapons that Iran uses to block the Strait of Hormuz through airstrikes alone.