What Happened
US Air Superiority Over Iran Does Not Translate to Control
Despite achieving air superiority over Iran, the US military has struggled to reopen the Strait of Hormuz due to continued attacks by Iranian drones and missiles. This paradox has sparked a debate about the limitations of traditional airpower and the need for a new approach to controlling the air domain. The concept of the air littoral, which refers to the airspace that must be controlled to support land and maritime operations, may hold the key to understanding this challenge. According to Breaking Defense, the US Air Force’s failure to adapt to this new reality may have contributed to the ongoing disruption in the Strait.