Why an untouched Iowa reserve would be hard to reactivate today

If the Iowa class had stayed in reserve rather than returning during the 1980s, would the US Navy reactivate the ships now?

Probably not without a major engine overhaul and extensive work to reverse decades of deterioration.

An Iowa-class battleship left untouched since the 1980s could not simply be recommissioned in the present. Reserve status preserves a hull, but it does not prevent machinery, support systems, and preservation measures from aging. The engines would be a central obstacle and require a very large overhaul before reactivation became credible. A mothball fleet preserves an option only while its equipment and maintenance base remain supportable.