Gunboat or showboat: Can the Navy truly sustain a long war with Iran?

A powerful naval force is now concentrated from the Mediterranean Sea to the Indian Ocean in support of continuing operations against the Islamic Republic of Iran — including two aircraft carriers, six amphibious assault ships, and 19 cruisers and destroyers. Just this week, President Donald Trump declared he would re-impose a blockade on Iranian ports, while U.S. attacks against coastal and island targets continued unabated.How long can the U.S. Navy keep this armada forward deployed?That we even ask this question highlights the visible decline of American Seapower. In 1945, with over 6,000 s