Overview
- Former defense secretary and CIA director Leon Panetta publicly on March 22 said President Trump is personally responsible for the Iran war and the Strait of Hormuz standoff.
- He argued U.S. planning overlooked the well-known risk that Iran could throttle oil flows by closing the strait, a move now roiling energy markets.
- Panetta said forcing the waterway open would require neutralizing Iranian coastal defenses and escorting tankers, a step he warned would cause casualties and enlarge the war.
- He contended initial strikes have not weakened Tehran as expected, pointing to a more entrenched, harder-line leadership under Mojtaba Khamenei.
- He cited strained alliances and surging fuel prices as compounding pressures, noting reports that Trump has vowed to "obliterate" Iranian power plants if shipping is not restored.