The administration of US President Donald Trump reportedly underestimated the likelihood that Iran would close the strategic Strait of Hormuz in response to US military strikes, CNN reported, citing multiple sources familiar with internal planning discussions.
CNN sources revealed that while planning for the ongoing military operation, the Pentagon and the National Security Council did not fully anticipate that Iran would attempt to close the waterway, despite long-standing contingency plans developed by the US military for such a scenario. Officials from the US Departments of Energy and Treasury were present at some planning meetings before the operation began, but CNN sources said the detailed economic forecasts and interagency analysis that typically shape major decisions were not central to the discussions.
Earlier, Iran's new Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, indicated that the closure of the Strait would remain a pressure tactic, according to remarks broadcast on Iranian state television. "Dear fighter brothers! The desire of the masses of the people is the continuation of effective and regret-inducing defence. Furthermore, the leverage of blocking the Strait of Hormuz must certainly continue to be used," he said. Khamenei said that Iran had identified sites which he claimed were vulnerable for future strikes from the Islamic Republic. -- ANI
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