Iran's Hormuz Control Gives Country Leverage Despite Military Struggles

Iran’s conventional military has been largely destroyed and it can’t stop US and Israeli air attacks, but the Islamic Republic’s control of the Strait of Hormuz provides a means to escalate the conflict beyond what adversaries may be willing to bear.

Waves of Iranian missile and drone barrages around the region have decreased by as much as 90% since the war’s early days, US officials have said, although they have hit American military facilities and valuable equipment.