American intelligence concluded that Iran, following Trump's military campaign, gained the ability to block the Strait of Hormuz at its discretion
US intelligence agencies have concluded that as a result of President Donald Trump's military campaign against Iran, Tehran has gained the ability to effectively block the Strait of Hormuz at its discretion, reports CNN citing three sources familiar with the discussions.
"We have handed over to Iran actual control over the strait - a weapon more powerful than any nuclear bomb," one of the sources told CNN, emphasizing that the war has fundamentally changed Tehran's approach to using such tactics in the future.
Iran, according to intelligence data, has also learned to deliver targeted strikes on the energy infrastructure of the Persian Gulf countries, which has become another tool of pressure in its arsenal.
The Trump administration's miscalculation, according to sources, was that officials believed that closing the strait would cause more damage to Iran than to the United States, and that China would ultimately use its influence to prevent the blockade of the strategic waterway.
However, just a few days after the start of the conflict, it became clear that Washington had miscalculated. "The loss of control over the strait will be the biggest mistake of this era, because this is a map that the US will not be able to resist without using all its forces.
Now there is no way to restore control without concentrating huge forces," said a source involved in military planning.