The highest U.S. general said on Tuesday that while Iran was fighting, it was no more formidable than Washington had thought, as america equipped for what’s being called probably the most intense day of strikes against Iran within the war thus far.
General Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told reporters that america was carrying out strikes against Iranian mine-laying vessels and the Pentagon would have a look at a spread of options if it was tasked with escorting ships through the Strait of Hormuz.
The war has effectively shut the Strait of Hormuz, a chokepoint for global oil and liquefied natural gas transport, leaving tankers unable to sail for more than per week and forcing producers to halt pumping as storage fills.
Get every day National news
Get the day’s top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day.
“I feel they’re fighting, and I respect that, but I don’t think they’re more formidable than what we thought,” Caine said.
U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday threatened to escalate the war with Iran if it blocked oil shipments from the Middle East, at the same time as he predicted a fast end to the conflict.
Through the press conference on the Pentagon, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said america would perform probably the most intense day of strikes against Iran on Tuesday.
Hegseth reiterated that this may not be an infinite war and said Trump would determine when the U.S. campaign would end.
America has carried out strikes against more than 5,000 targets in the primary 10 days of the campaign, including against more than 50 naval ships, Caine said.