Iran: Has not yet responded to the U.S. proposal

Odaily Planet Daily News: On the 7th, Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson stated to Iranian media that Iran has not yet reached a conclusion on the U.S. proposal and has not responded to the U.S. side.

Sources familiar with the matter said that a confidential analysis by the CIA this week suggests Iran can sustain itself for at least three to four months under a U.S. naval blockade before facing more severe economic difficulties. The analysis also indicates that despite weeks of intense bombing by the U.S., Iran still retains a considerable arsenal of ballistic missiles.

An American official said that Iran currently still has about 75% of its pre-war mobile launchers in reserve, along with approximately 70% of its missile stockpile. The official stated that there is evidence showing the Iranian regime has been able to restore and reactivate nearly all underground storage facilities, repair some damaged missiles, and even assemble some new missiles that were nearly complete when the war broke out.

Iran’s capacity to endure long-term economic hardship is even stronger than CIA assessments suggest. “The Iranian leadership has become more radical and determined, increasingly believing they can exhaust U.S. political will, while suppressing any resistance domestically. Similar regimes have maintained power for years under long-term sanctions and purely aerial strikes,” said the source. Iran is storing some of its oil in tankers that would otherwise be idle due to the blockade, while also reducing oil field output to ensure the continued operation of oil wells. U.S. officials stated that if Iran can smuggle oil via land routes, the CIA may have underestimated Iran’s economic resilience. (Jin10)