Iran unfazed by US naval blockade? CIA says Tehran can withstand barrier for months amid Gulf clashes

Efforts to end the conflict between the U.S. and Iran appeared to lose momentum on Friday as both sides exchanged fire in the Gulf, while a U.S. intelligence assessment reportedly concluded that Tehran could endure a naval blockade for several months, as reported by Reuters.A CIA assessment indicated that Iran would not suffer severe economic pressure from a U.S. blockade of Iranian ports for about another four months, as reported by Reuters, citing a US official familiar with the matter, suggesting that US leverage over Tehran remains limited as the two sides seek to end a conflict that has been unpopular with US voters.The Washington Post first reported the assessment.People also askAI powered insights from this story•5 QUESTIONSA CIA assessment reportedly concluded that Iran could endure a US naval blockade for about another four months without suffering severe economic pressure.Iran has introduced a new regulatory system requiring commercial ships to provide detailed information through a 40-question declaration and secure a transit permit before passing through the Strait of Hormuz.The US military fired on and disabled two Iranian oil tankers that were attempting to enter an Iranian port in violation of the US blockade.The Strait of Hormuz is a critical energy transit route, with vessels transporting nearly one-fifth of the world's oil passing through it daily.The US intensified sanctions on individuals and companies for aiding Iran's military in securing weapons and raw materials for its drones, aiming to pressure Tehran's military industrial base.A senior intelligence official called the “claims” about the CIA analysis “false,” saying the blockade “is inflicting real, compounding damage - severing trade, crushing revenue, and accelerating systemic economic collapse.”The past few days have witnessed the most intense clashes in and around the Strait of Hormuz since a ceasefire took effect a month ago, with the United Arab Emirates once again coming under attack on Friday.At the same time, Washington is awaiting Tehran’s response to a U.S. proposal aimed at formally ending the war before moving on to negotiations over more contentious matters, including Iran’s nuclear programme.“We should know something today,” US Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters in Rome earlier in the day. “We're expecting a response from them.”Iran's foreign ministry spokesperson said Tehran was still weighing its response, and none was reported by mid-afternoon in Washington, just before midnight in Tehran, Reuters reported.Sporadic clashes in Strait of HormuzMeanwhile, intermittent clashes between Iranian forces and U.S. naval vessels were reported in the Strait of Hormuz, according to Iran’s semi-official Fars News Agency. Later, Tasnim News Agency quoted an Iranian military source as saying that the situation had eased, although it warned that further confrontations could still occur.The U.S. military said it had targeted two Iran-linked vessels attempting to reach an Iranian port, with an American fighter jet striking their smokestacks and forcing the ships to turn back.Iran has largely restricted non-Iranian shipping through the Strait of Hormuz since the conflict erupted following joint U.S.-Israeli airstrikes across Iran on February 28. Last month, the United States also imposed a blockade on Iranian vessels.Amid the escalating tensions, oil prices moved higher, with Brent crude futures trading above $101 per barrel, although prices remained more than 6% lower for the weekTrump said on Thursday the ceasefire was still holding despite the flare-ups in the strait, which before the war handled one-fifth of the world's oil supply.The confrontation extended beyond the waterway. The United Arab Emirates said its air defenses engaged with two ballistic missiles and three drones from Iran on Friday, with three people sustaining moderate injuries.During the war, Iran has repeatedly targeted the UAE and other Gulf states that host U.S. militar