Ret. Rear Adm. Urges Trump to Keep Iran Response ‘Proportionate’

Summary

Retired Rear Admiral Mark Montgomery discusses a proportionate military response to Iran after an Apache helicopter was shot down, emphasizing strikes only on military targets near Bandar Abbas to avoid escalation. He also details the effective US blockade of Iranian oil exports, the near-capacity use of alternative pipeline routes bypassing the Strait of Hormuz, and the diminished Houthi threat in the Red Sea. The conversation touches on a historic unmanned boat rescue and the future of drone warfare.

• Montgomery advises a US strike proportional to the attack, limited to military sites that fired and related command/radar facilities.
• He warns against striking economic targets to prevent disproportionate escalation and maintain negotiations.
• The US blockade of Iranian fossil fuel exports is largely successful, with major tankers to India and China blocked.
• Pipeline passage via UAE-Oman and Saudi Arabia is flowing near maximum capacity as an alternative to the Strait.
• Houthi capabilities have been hollowed out by US strikes and disrupted Iranian parts supply, reducing their threat to the Bab el-Mandeb strait.
• An unmanned Corsair boat rescued two pilots in a first for the US military, highlighting advancing drone use.
• Montgomery notes Ukraine’s ground drone use for casualty evacuation as a parallel innovation.