A leaked CIA memo shows that President Donald Trump has been lying about Iran’s military strength. Trump has claimed Iran retains only 18-19 percent of its original missile inventory, which contradicts the intelligence community’s findings that Iran maintains around 70-75 percent., notes the Washington Post:
A confidential CIA analysis delivered to administration policymakers this week concludes that Iran can survive the U.S. naval blockade for at least three to four months before facing more severe economic hardship, four people familiar with the document said, a finding that appears to raise new questions about President Donald Trump’s optimism on ending the war.
One U.S. official who spoke to the Post suggested the CIA estimate may even be optimistic about Iran’s vulnerability. “The leadership has gotten more radical, determined and increasingly confident they can outlast U.S. political will and sustain domestic repression to check any resistance” inside Iran.
“Comparatively, you see similar regimes lasting years under sustained embargoes and airpower-only wars,” the official told the Post and suggested that Iran could endure prolonged economic hardship far longer than the administration has publicly indicated.
Axios reports Iran is holding its own against the U.S. in the Strait of Hormuz:
The U.S. and Iran both conducted attacks in the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday, with Iran firing missiles and drones at three U.S. naval vessels and the U.S. striking a range of Iranian targets.
(Sources: Washington Post, Axios)