WASHINGTON, March 10 (Reuters) – America’s top general said on Tuesday that while Iran is fighting, it is no more formidable than Washington thought, as the United States prepares for the most intense day of attacks on Iran in the war so far.
Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the U.S. military, told reporters that the United States is carrying out strikes against Iranian ships laying sea mines and that the Pentagon will look at a range of options if tasked with escorting ships through the Strait of Hormuz.
The war effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz, a chokepoint for the global transportation of oil and liquefied natural gas, leaving tankers unable to sail for more than a week and forcing producers to halt production as storage capacity runs out.
“I think they’re fighting, and I respect that, but I don’t think they’re any more formidable than we thought,” Caine said.
On Monday, US President Donald Trump threatened to escalate war with Iran if the country blocks oil shipments from the Middle East, even as he predicted a quick end to the conflict.
During the press conference at the Pentagon, US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said that the United States will carry out its most intense day of attacks against Iran this Tuesday.
Continues after advertising
Hegseth reiterated that this would not be an endless war and said Trump will decide when the US campaign will end.
The United States carried out strikes against more than 5,000 targets in the first 10 days of the campaign, including against more than 50 warships, Caine said.
