5 In the US-Israel-Iran war, which began in February 2026, the United States and Israel launched large- scale airstrikes against military and strategic facilities inside Iran. In response, Iran counterattacked nearby the US military bases and blockaded the Strait of Hormuz—a global crude oil choke point—as a countermeasure. Which of the following options best aligns with the interpretation of this conflict through the lens of “Offensive Realism”?
(A) Great powers, in their pursuit of absolute security and regional hegemony, tend to adopt “preventive measures” to eliminate potential strategic threats.
(B) The core motivation behind the US airstrikes is to defend the international legal order and the freedom of navigation in the Middle East.
(C) Iran’s blockade of the Strait of Hormuz is an attempt to reshape the Middle Eastern and global trading systems through economic interdependence.
(D) The outbreak of conflict between the US and Iran stems primarily from Iran’s persistent free-riding on US Middle East policy to strengthen itself.