The blockade of the Strait of Hormuz could involve 15 American ships, but that creates challenges in other regions.

At least 15 U.S. warships in the region could participate in the blockade, which began on Monday, but more naval vessels and aircraft would be needed for its effective implementation, said Yu Jihoon, a research fellow at the Korea Institute for Defense Analyses and a former officer in the South Korean submarine service. "Blockade line control, ship identification and inspection, aerial surveillance activity, deterrence of Iranian fast boats or missile threats, and response to mines must all function together," said Yu. A prolonged blockade, requiring a large group of ships and accompanying resources, could strain U.S. Navy operations in other parts of the world, he added. "Since the U.S. Navy is already deploying its operations across the Middle East, Indo-Pacific, and Europe, the longer the blockade lasts, the more it could burden other operations in various areas," he said. The U.S. Navy currently has at least 15 ships, including one aircraft carrier and 11 destroyers, in the Middle East region, according to a U.S. official, as the Navy begins a maritime blockade of traffic to and from Iranian ports on the order of President Donald Trump. It is unclear exactly where each ship is located or which ones might participate in the blockade; earlier CNN reports showed they are scattered within the operational area of the U.S. Central Command. The ships include the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln. Destroyers: USS Bainbridge, USS Thomas Hudner, USS Frank E. Petersen Jr., USS Delbert D. Black, USS John Finn, USS Michael Murphy, USS Mitscher, USS Pinckney, USS Rafael Peralta, USS Spruance, USS Milius. The amphibious group Tripoli consisting of: USS Tripoli, USS New Orleans, USS Rushmore. The aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford, which participated in U.S. operations in the war with Iran, moved to Greece last month for repairs but is now operating in the eastern Mediterranean, according to the public tracker USNI News. The ship is together with several destroyers and other auxiliary vessels but would have to pass either through the Suez Canal or around Africa to be in a position to assist in the blockade.