Iranian Navy Collapses in Nighttime Strikes: U.S.-Israel Operations Signal End of Maritime Power

Retired Air Force Brigadier General Blaine Holt described Iran’s naval forces as nearing collapse on Saturday, warning that impending military strikes by the United States and Israel would inflict devastating losses on Tehran’s maritime capabilities.

“The Iranian navy is ‘trying to show strength when it’s completely in shambles,’” he stated.

According to Holt, planned strikes later that day would heavily target Iranian naval assets. He predicted Iran may not retain much of its surface fleet or missile capability afterward. “Tonight’s strikes are going to go very heavy on that region,” he added. “This is the end of the Iranian navy. It’s going away now.”

Despite his assessment, Holt cautioned residual threats could persist, particularly undersea capabilities. He warned Iran maintains sea mine capabilities that could disrupt commercial shipping even if its fleet is significantly degraded. “There’s still going to be a sea undersea mine capability that the Iranians have,” he said. “We’re going to have to deal with that.”

Holt indicated such disruptions might temporarily halt maritime traffic in vital energy shipping lanes. “What we’re probably looking at is a halt to shipping for just a little while,” he stated. Any interruption, he added, could trigger immediate volatility in global energy markets: “You’re going to see oil futures go nuts.”

Nevertheless, he predicted market instability and shipping interruptions would be short-lived. “My estimation is that’s going to be a 24- to 48-hour process,” Holt explained. “Things are going to come right back down.”