美国情报评估伊朗从现在起可以随意关闭霍尔木兹海峡

Summary US intelligence agencies have assessed that Iran can now effectively shut down the Strait of Hormuz at will, according to three sources familiar with the findings.

A US official said Iran can only access benefits of the framework agreement if the strait remains open and it abides by other agreed-upon points.

Iran has also learned it can leverage targeted strikes against Gulf energy infrastructure and potentially deploy Houthi forces to close another critical waterway.

US intelligence agencies have recently assessed that Iran can effectively shut down access to the Strait of Hormuz at will from now on, meaning the country’s regime has acquired a powerful new ability to hurt the global economy as a result of the war, according to three sources familiar with the findings.

Regardless of the framework agreement that is due to be formally signed on Friday to open the key waterway as a prelude to nuclear talks, Iran proved it can shut off access to the strait during the current conflict and US intelligence assessments suggest that could happen again.

“We have now handed Iran de facto control over the strait – a weapon more powerful than any nuke,” one of the sources familiar with the US intelligence assessments told CNN, emphasizing how the war has fundamentally altered Tehran’s thinking about leveraging similar tactics in the future.

Iran has similarly learned it can leverage targeted strikes against the energy infrastructure of Gulf countries as an asymmetric capability after doing so to great effect during the war, another tool it can use to its advantage going forward, a second source familiar with the assessments said.

The US has had to negotiate with Iran intensively to fully re-open the strait, underscoring the Iranians’ continued leverage.

CNN approached the White House and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence for comment.

A senior US official told CNN that Iran cannot access “any benefits” of the framework agreement unless the strai