Retired British Army General Simon Mayall says any potential stand-down in the Strait of Hormuz detailed in a reported new memorandum of understanding between Tehran and Washington would be a highly intricate military operation.

Asked to describe the process of withdrawing forces from such a crowded and tense waterway, he stressed it is “hugely complex”.

“The Iranians have the advantage of being the force in situ. They have the northern side of the Strait of Hormuz, and they’ve obviously got depth,” Mayall, a former Middle East adviser to the UK Ministry of Defence, told Al Jazeera.

By contrast, he said, the US has assembled a “vast armada”, including three carrier groups, two Marine Expeditionary Units, the 82nd Airborne, etc.

Even a phased drawdown requires care, he warned. “The first thing we do, obviously, is lift the blockade. Still keep your forces there, but sooner or later, you’ve got to start rotating crews and ships. You’ve got to resupply them,” he said.

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