Washington: A new secret report by the Central Intelligence Agency has challenged claims made by President Donald Trump about Iran’s economy and military strength. According to reporting by The Washington Post, US policymakers were told that Iran can keep its economy running for another three to four months despite a strict US naval blockade. This directly contradicts earlier claims of Iran’s immediate economic collapse.
At the same time, the report suggests that pressure from the blockade has not produced the fast results the White House expected. Instead, Iran appears more resilient than publicly stated.
Iran Retains Missile Power Despite Bombing
According to the CIA assessment, weeks of bombing by the United States and Israel have not crippled Iran’s military strength. In fact, Iran has managed to protect about 70 percent of its ballistic missile capability. It also still has around 75 percent of its mobile missile launchers.
Meanwhile, officials say Iran has restored its underground storage sites. It is repairing damaged missiles and producing new ones as well. These findings contradict President Trump’s statements that Iran’s economy was paralyzed and that it could not even pay salaries to its soldiers.
Alternative Routes Keep Iran’s Economy Alive
Meanwhile, analysts say Iran has found new ways to survive economically. These include storing crude oil in tankers and moving oil through rail routes across Central Asia. As a result, Iran has softened the impact of the blockade.
This report comes as President Trump has paused what was known as “Project Freedom” after losing support from Saudi Arabia. According to the CIA, Iran’s economy is not as weak as it appears. The country is believed to have the capacity to withstand the blockade for another 90 to 120 days.
Overall, the leaked findings suggest that Iran remains far from being forced into quick surrender, despite intense military and economic pressure.
