US will use "unbelievable force" if Iran tries shutting Strait of Hormuz: Ex-US Treasury official
His comments come in the wake of recent US airstrikes targeting three key Iranian nuclear facilities, including Fordow, Iran's main enrichment location for uranium enrichment to 60 per cent.
"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. It doesn't mean that Iran won't try to attack, but I think asymmetrically is much more likely than through conventional means," Schanzer said.
Commenting on the scale of damage inflicted on Iran by the joint US-Israeli strikes, Schanzer suggested that the Iranian regime has suffered irreparable losses but remains defiant.
"There is no coming back from this for the (Iranian) regime. They've lost their entire air force, they have lost their air defences, 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. We'll wait and see whether the Israelis sustain strikes or the United States sustain strikes. But this is a regime that appears defiant, despite the president's assessment that they are effectively a spent force," Schanzer said.
The terror finance analyst also expressed serious concern about potential retaliation from Iran, especially through non-conventional methods, including the threat of sleeper cells within the US.
"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," he said.
On President Donald Trump's address following the strikes, Schanzer said his remarks was unusually short and that it might be premature to declare success.
"It was a very short speech. I think his (US President Trump) 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," Schanzer said.
After Northrop Grumman-made B-2 Spirit bombers struck nuclear facilities in Natanz, Isfahan and Fordow, Trump, in his first public remarks, warned that he could order further action if Tehran does not agree to a satisfactory peace agreement.
In his address to the nation from the White House on Saturday (local time), Trump said, "There will be either peace or there will be tragedy for Iran, far greater than we've witnessed over the last eight days."
In a Truth Social post, Trump said, "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 and said, "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 went on to praise the military minds involved in the operation.
"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."
Top brass of the American political leadership stood beside Trump as he delivered the remarks, Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth.
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