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Uncle Joe

(64,980 posts)
Fri Mar 13, 2026, 12:25 PM Friday

Trump admin 'significantly underestimated' Iran's Strait of Hormuz closure



The Pentagon and National Security Council significantly underestimated Iran’s willingness to close the Strait of Hormuz in response to US military strikes while planning the ongoing operation, according to multiple sources familiar with the matter.

President Donald Trump’s national security team failed to fully account for the potential consequences of what some officials have described as a worst-case scenario now facing the administration, the sources said.

0:00 Sources: Trump admin underestimated Iran war's impact on Strait of Hormuz
2:09 White House statement
3:04 Lt. Gen. Mark Schwartz (Ret.) on Iran war planning
4:22 Defense Secretary Hegseth: "don't need to worry about it"
5:42 CNN's Tom Foreman on why the Strait of Hormuz matters
8 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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Trump admin 'significantly underestimated' Iran's Strait of Hormuz closure (Original Post) Uncle Joe Friday OP
Time for a Panama Canal detour? bucolic_frolic Friday #1
;-{)..... Goonch Friday #2
I was watching this interview with retired General Stanley McCrhystal Walleye Friday #3
Maybe a combination of doctrines, Uncle Joe Friday #4
Perfect Walleye Friday #5
Is it under estimating or just plain not thinking about consequences? Probatim Friday #6
I think it depends Uncle Joe Friday #7
You're probably right - I was thinking of this in terms of how it benefits America and how stupid he is. Probatim Friday #8

bucolic_frolic

(54,885 posts)
1. Time for a Panama Canal detour?
Fri Mar 13, 2026, 12:27 PM
Friday

We have the bulldozers, no? Build the Trump Canal across the mainland. National boundaries don't matter to us anymore. It's a logical progression

Walleye

(44,594 posts)
3. I was watching this interview with retired General Stanley McCrhystal
Fri Mar 13, 2026, 12:56 PM
Friday

And Goldberg of the Atlantic asked him to describe what the Trump doctrine was. He referenced a Dolly Parton song, Jolene, where she says “please don’t take him just because you can” and the general said that’s our doctrine now, taking whatever we can. Jeffrey Goldberg called it the Jolene doctrine

Probatim

(3,274 posts)
6. Is it under estimating or just plain not thinking about consequences?
Fri Mar 13, 2026, 02:31 PM
Friday

Given everything we know about FF45/47, I think it's the latter.

His general MO is to blow something up, blame someone else, then say it's fixed/finished - and he's the hero. And media reports it as sound decision-making.

Uncle Joe

(64,980 posts)
7. I think it depends
Fri Mar 13, 2026, 03:04 PM
Friday

on whether *rump is dedicated to representing American security, economic, and political interests or those of Russia?

I can't think of any other person that benefits more from this thoughtless, unnecessary aggression whether it be economically, or politically than Putin; with his unprovoked war against Ukraine.

Probatim

(3,274 posts)
8. You're probably right - I was thinking of this in terms of how it benefits America and how stupid he is.
Fri Mar 13, 2026, 03:08 PM
Friday

I'd like to think I'm not politically naive, but sometimes I forget how much he works to benefit Putin. Witness his lifting of Russia's oil embargo as case in point.

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