US EditionPentagon Underestimated Iran's Strait of Hormuz Closure, Sources Say
The U.S. underestimated Iran's move to close the Strait of Hormuz, halting nearly 20% of global oil exports and disrupting shipping amid ongoing military conflict.
- At a Pentagon briefing Friday, Mar 13, 2026, U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said the Strait of Hormuz is open and 'We have been dealing with it, and don't need to worry about it'.
- Hegseth asserted the continued blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, despite ongoing attacks on commercial shipping after the Feb. 28 strikes that targeted Iran's former Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
- Hegseth said the military has struck more than 15,000 targets, with Iran's missile volume down 90% and attack drones down 95%, adding, 'Fighters and bombers, all day picking targets as they choose.'
- Brent crude traded near $99 Friday as a record 400-million-barrel IEA emergency reserve release has not brought prices down.
- Looking beyond immediate effects, Hegseth said the U.S. has a plan for every option and will not allow the Strait of Hormuz to remain contested, while the military investigation into the Feb. 28 school strike found likely civilian deaths exceeding 170.
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Iran's move is causing serious disruption to the global economy, something the White House apparently underestimated at the start of the intervention. Trump has sent a message to the regime by launching a warship escort and striking an Iranian island, but this also threatens further escalation.
Sources tell CNN that the Pentagon and the National Security Council did not expect Iran's retaliation.
Trump warns Iran again over closure of Strait of Hormuz — ‘US will be bombing the hell out of shoreline’
Donald Trump has warned that the US “will be bombing the h*ll out of the shoreline” at the Strait of Hormuz in Iran. He also expressed hope that other countries would also send their war ships to the area.
Planning for the US war on Iran was kept to a very small circle in the White House, several sources said. That gave President Trump greater flexibility to act — but reduced the flow of input from advisers. Some warned that the Strait of Hormuz could be closed.
Why it is easy for Iran to shut the Strait of Hormuz
Following through on an old threat, Iran has effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz, cutting off a vital waterway that normally carries about a fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas...
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