Washington, D.C. [United States], June 22 (ANI): Former U.S. Treasury Department official and terrorism finance analyst Jonathan Schanzer has warned that the United States would respond with “unbelievable force” if Iran attempts to shut down the Strait of Hormuz. His remarks follow U.S. airstrikes on three of Iran’s key nuclear facilities, including Fordow—Tehran’s main site for enriching uranium to 60 percent.
“Any attempt to close the Strait of Hormuz right now will be met with probably unbelievable force from the United States. Now that this has started, it’s not that difficult to imagine the French or the Brits coming in to clear the lanes… I see the Iranians as being absolutely suicidal if they go down this route, and I do get a sense that we could be at a pivotal moment here,” Schanzer told ANI.
He added, “It doesn’t mean that Iran won’t try to attack, but I think asymmetrically is much more likely than through conventional means.”
Speaking on the aftermath of the joint U.S.-Israeli strikes, Schanzer suggested the Iranian regime has suffered devastating losses but remains unyielding. “There is no coming back from this for the [Iranian] regime. They’ve lost their entire air force, they have lost their air defenses, they have lost their nuclear facilities. There is not much to operate with right now, other than asymmetric attacks and whatever is left of their missile arsenal,” he said.
“We’ll wait and see whether the Israelis sustain strikes or the United States sustains strikes. But this is a regime that appears defiant, despite the president’s assessment that they are effectively a spent force.”
Schanzer also raised alarms over the possibility of non-conventional retaliation, including potential attacks within the United States. “I am concerned about asymmetric attacks here in the United States, sleeper cells in particular… Because this [Iran] is the world’s number one state sponsor of terrorism, they have the means, they have the will, they’ve got the capabilities. If they choose to attack the United States, they certainly can do so.”
Commenting on President Donald Trump’s brief address following the airstrikes, Schanzer suggested that declaring success might be premature. “It was a very short speech. I think his assessment of the success of those strikes may be a bit premature… Donald Trump is calling for Iran’s full and complete capitulation, a complete surrender, and right now, I’m not sure that the [Iranian] regime is prepared to do that. If you look at the statements coming out of the regime right now, they are threatening to strike America in response.”
Following the deployment of Northrop Grumman-made B-2 Spirit bombers, which targeted nuclear sites in Natanz, Isfahan, and Fordow, Trump warned that further action could be taken if Iran does not pursue peace.
“There will be either peace or there will be tragedy for Iran, far greater than we’ve witnessed over the last eight days,” Trump said in a national address from the White House on Saturday (local time).
In a Truth Social post, he reiterated, “This cannot continue. There will be either peace or there will be a tragedy for Iran far greater than we have witnessed over the last eight days. Remember, there are many targets left. Tonight’s was the most difficult of them all, by far, and perhaps the most lethal. But if peace does not come quickly, we will go after those other targets with precision, speed, and skill.”
Trump also thanked Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for his role in the joint operation. “I want to thank Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu. We worked as a team like perhaps no team has ever worked before, and we’ve gone a long way to erasing this horrible threat to Israel.”
He further praised the military forces involved, stating, “I want to thank the Israeli military for the wonderful job they’ve done and, most importantly, I want to congratulate great American patriots who flew those magnificent machines tonight, and all of the United States’ military on an operation the likes of which the world has not seen in many, many decades. Hopefully, we will no longer need their services in this capacity. I hope so.”
President Trump was joined by top American political leaders during his remarks, including Vice President J.D. Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth. (ANI)
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