The tension in the Persian Gulf has reached new heights following a dramatic escalation by Iran in the Strait of Hormuz. Tehran believed that with its fast boats and heavily fortified coastal missile sites, it could maintain control over one of the most critical and strategic chokepoints in the world. However, in a series of decisive moves over the past few days, the U.S. military has flipped the script, proving that Iran’s grip over the Strait of Hormuz is now nothing more than a fading memory.

For weeks, Iran has relied on its classic asymmetric warfare tactics, such as fast boats, drones, and missile strikes, to disrupt the global flow of trade through the Strait of Hormuz. The strait is crucial for global energy shipments, with nearly 20% of the world’s oil passing through this narrow waterway. Iran’s strategy has been to block commercial shipping and intimidate neighboring Gulf states by threatening their energy infrastructure.

Tehran’s military leaders were betting on these tactics to pressure the U.S. and its allies into backing down. However, a recently unleashed U.S. military strategy, backed by a multi-pronged assault and unprecedented firepower, has turned the tables in a way Iran never expected.

The U.S. military, under Operation Epic Fury, unleashed a staggering new set of weapons that have drastically changed the balance of power in the region. At the core of this new strategy are 5,000-pound bunker-busting bombs—some of the most advanced munitions ever created. These massive bombs, known as GBU-72s, were used to target and destroy Iran’s hardened missile launch facilities along its coast near the Strait of Hormuz.