US lawmakers have been briefed on an intelligence assessment that suggests it could take months to fully reopen the Strait of Hormuz following the conflict with Iran, raising concerns about disruption to global trade.
According to CNN, Pentagon officials told members of the House Armed Services Committee during a briefing that it could take up to six months to clear the shipping route of mines.
According to sources cited by CNN, earlier assessments by the Defense Intelligence Agency had shown that Iran could block the strait for one to six months.
However, US officials have downplayed the possibility of a prolonged shutdown.
Sean Parnell, a Pentagon spokesman, rejected reports focusing on a longer time period: “The media cherry picking leaked information from a classified, closed briefing, most of which is false, is dishonest journalism.”
He said, “As we said in March, an assessment does not mean the assessment is plausible, and closing the Strait of Hormuz for six months is impossible and completely unacceptable to the Secretary.”
Despite the assurances, the briefing underlined the continued uncertainty in the region and its impact on global markets.
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