MOSCOW, April 21. /TASS/. The United States would not be able to maintain a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz for long, as it is fraught with enormous risks for it, Maxim Shepovalenko, deputy director of the Center for Analysis of Strategies and Technologies, said at the Valdai International Discussion Club.

"On the one hand, we see the technical feasibility of establishing a blockade for a short period of time; on the other, it would be fraught with great risks. I’ve already mentioned what the Iranians could counter the blockade with - it’s very serious: ballistic anti-ship missiles, which can reach speeds of Mach 3 to 5 in their terminal phase. Each of them carries a warhead weighing about half a ton; one such missile is, in principle, sufficient to seriously damage an aircraft carrier or render it inoperable," he said.

The expert emphasized that, technically, organizing a blockade is a feasible matter for the Americans, they have a sufficient number of ships for it. However, the difficulty lies in maintaining this blockade over the long term. "I’ll give you one figure: any forward deployment, say, like the American Seventh Fleet based in Japan, entails 30% higher budget expenditures and increased wear and tear on equipment. It can be done, but it will cost a pretty penny. Beyond the technical aspects, there’s also the human factor: people can’t constantly be at sea for long periods, as the naval crews need to be given rest," Shepovalenko added.