Iran shifts strategy in Hormuz amid US strikes, expands target list

Nabil Al-Atoum, Director of the Iranian Studies Program, said that "current developments point to a confrontation entering a more dangerous phase," suggesting that "Iran is likely to expand its list of targets."

Speaking in an interview with Al Arabiya FM, Al-Atoum added that "the operations have not been limited to airstrikes, but also involve changing the situation on the ground in the Strait of Hormuz. The US strikes appear to be preparatory, focusing mainly on boats, radars, and air defenses to weaken Iran's capabilities."

He continued, "This could pave the way for limited ground landings in the theater of operations, with a broader range of targets. Seven Iranian islands in the Gulf have been targeted, in addition to Iranian coastal sites and more than 16 geographic areas inside Iran."

Al-Atoum noted that "US President Donald Trump links the current operations to the deaths of American soldiers from Iranian strikes, in order to legitimize the operations, control the Strait of Hormuz and Iranian coasts, and potentially reach deeper into Iran."

He went on to say that "the US goal is not only to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, but also to secure exports through the strait and conduct targeted operations such as striking Iran's Ras Al-Fas facility, as Trump is increasingly focused on dismantling all elements of Iran's nuclear program."

He concluded that "Iran realizes that losing the islands overlooking the Strait of Hormuz would cost it its most important economic bargaining chips. Iran is likely to rely on a war of attrition and target ships passing through the Gulf, but it may also expand its regional response by targeting US bases, interests, energy facilities, and infrastructure in the region to increase the cost for the US, while hinting at involving the Bab Al-Mandab Strait."

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