In the days leading up to the US and Israel’s war against Iran, Iranian commanders repeatedly warned their foes to expect a ferocious and escalatory response.
American military bases across the region would be hit, they said. The elite Revolutionary Guards conducted a naval exercise in the Strait of Hormuz, saying they were ready to close the key waterway. Gulf states urged US President Donald Trump to pursue diplomacy, not war, warning of threats to energy markets.
But the US appears to have underestimated the scale of Iran’s response. Almost two weeks into the war, Tehran has spread the conflict across the oil-rich Gulf, brought the flow of oil and gas shipments through the Strait of Hormuz to a trickle and sent global energy prices soaring.