Reopen Hormuz Day 0 Standby
Ships Transiting
0%
Merchant Confidence
0%
Mine Danger
0%
Iranian Disruption Capability
0%
Mission Allocation
Total effort budget 200
Unallocated effort 0
Drone/missile launch
Mines
Shipping
U.S. Navy
Mine sweeper
Traffic Flow
Capabilities vs Confidence
Events
Why Ships Aren't Crossing
▾ About this model
What this teaches:
Closing a chokepoint can be easier than making it safe enough for commerce to resume. Watch how military success against Iranian forces does not automatically restore shipping.

Win: Traffic above 70% for 7 consecutive days.
Lose: 60 days below 30% traffic = global recession + permanent rerouting.

Tips:
• Mine threat is sticky — neglecting MCM is costly.
• Escort credibility builds slowly through safe passage.
• One attack during recovery undoes weeks of progress.
• You can't do everything — tradeoffs matter.

This simulator is an explanatory toy model inspired by public analysis of Hormuz closure scenarios, mine warfare, and commercial shipping risk. It illustrates mechanisms and tradeoffs; it does not predict real-world outcomes.
Situation Brief — Day 0

REOPEN HORMUZ

Joint strikes severely degrade Iranian air defenses. U.S. airpower gains broad freedom of action. But Iran has effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz with drones, missiles, and mines.
Strait trafficDown 97%
Oil priceAbove $110/bbl and rising
Shipping insuranceScarce and sharply repriced
Mine threatConfirmed in or near shipping lanes
U.S. air superiorityBroad freedom of action
Your mission: Reopen the strait for commercial shipping. Allocate 5th Fleet effort across strike, mine clearance, escort, base defense, and reserves.

Win: Sustain traffic above 70% for 7 consecutive days.
Lose: 60 days below 30% traffic triggers global recession.

The challenge: Military dominance must translate into commercial confidence. Shippers, insurers, and crews need to believe the strait is safe — not just that Iran is losing.