Becca Wasser suggests the downing of the U.S. helicopter could have been the action of a rogue actor due to the decentralized nature of Iran's military.

Becca Wasser states that Iran's military is highly decentralized, which creates the possibility that the downing of the U.S. helicopter was the action of a rogue actor.

An expansion of U.S. military strikes against Iran could target civilian infrastructure, including communication nodes and energy facilities on Kharg Island.

A previous U.S. military effort named "Project Freedom" to escort ships through the Strait of Hormuz was halted after less than a day because it led to an exchange of fire with Iran.

An Iranian drone reportedly landed on the canopy of a U.S. Apache helicopter and ended up in the cockpit between the two pilots.

Iran would benefit most from a ceasefire with the US and Israel, as it has a lower bar for military reconstitution compared to the complex re-supply needs of the US and Israel.

The primary naval threat from Iran in the Strait of Hormuz is not its conventional navy, but rather the fast boats and anti-ship cruise missiles operated by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC...

The current conflict with Iran is expected to become a protracted, low-intensity conflict characterized by cyclical periods of strikes followed by rest and reconstitution.

European and Asian countries possess more minesweeping naval vessels than the United States, which has divested this capability in favor of outfitting Littoral Combat Ships for the role.

The US military considers the LUKAS system, a reverse-engineered Shahed drone, as its primary example of low-cost, attritable mass, but its cost is still not low enough for true mass deployment.

The United States is currently unwilling to conduct naval escort missions for commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, a key difference from its actions during the 1980s Tanker War.

The deployment of next-generation technologies like the Dark Eagle missile from the Indo-Pacific to the Middle East would negatively impact US readiness and preparedness for a future conflict with Chi...

The United States will likely experience a 'carrier gap' in the future, reducing its naval power projection capabilities.

US Central Command (CENTCOM) has requested the deployment of the US Army's Dark Eagle long-range hypersonic missile to its area of operations.

The United States is no longer perceived as a reliable ally or negotiating partner by either its adversaries or its allies.

The United States has not achieved absolute air supremacy over Iran, but rather localized and time-based air superiority, similar to what is expected in a future conflict with China.

Becca Wasser of Bloomberg Economics believes the Strait of Hormuz will not reopen without either a negotiated settlement or renewed military strikes between the US and Iran.

The U.S. will enforce its naval blockade of Iran not within the Strait of Hormuz itself, but in the adjacent waters of the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea.

A naval blockade is technically considered an act of war, and it is highly probable that Iran will interpret the U.S. action as such.

Iran could retaliate against the U.S. naval blockade by attacking ports and infrastructure in Gulf countries.