WASHINGTON: A CIA assessment has concluded that Iran could withstand a US naval blockade for another four months.
The report comes as the United States awaits Iran’s response to a proposal aimed at formally ending the war before talks move to more contentious issues, including Tehran’s nuclear programme.
“We should know something today,” US Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters in Rome. “We’re expecting a response from them.”
Iran’s foreign ministry said Tehran was still reviewing the proposal.
Iran has largely restricted non-Iranian shipping through the Strait of Hormuz since the war began with joint US-Israeli airstrikes on February 28. The United States imposed a blockade on Iranian vessels last month.
The Strait of Hormuz is one of the world’s most important energy routes and carried around one-fifth of global oil supplies before the conflict.
Oil prices rose on Friday, with Brent crude trading above $101 a barrel, although prices remained down more than six percent for the week.
Meanwhile, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi accused Washington of undermining diplomacy, saying: “Every time a diplomatic solution is on the table, the US opts for a reckless military adventure.”
