Former CIA Director: Iran’s Weapon Is Pointed at Us

According to the political desk of Saed News, Leon Panetta, former Director of the CIA, stated that the continuation of the war is likely, as the key to achieving a lasting ceasefire has not been found and critical issues remain unresolved. At the same time, he acknowledged that U.S. President Donald Trump faces very limited options.

In an interview with The Times of the United Kingdom, Panetta warned that Donald Trump may have become involved in a situation beyond his capacity. He noted that a conflict initially expected to end within a few weeks has, in reality, dragged on for months.

The former CIA chief said, “The Iranian regime has effectively put a gun to our head through its stranglehold control over the Strait of Hormuz.”

Panetta, who led the CIA and served as Secretary of Defense during Barack Obama’s presidency, questioned the effectiveness of resuming U.S. airstrikes against Iran. He argued that any further military action would not lead to a meaningful change in Iran’s system.

“They (the Iranians) have managed to withstand many pressures, and our intelligence indicates they are capable of continuing to resist this kind of pressure,” he said.

Regarding ground operations, Panetta noted that “there is no justification for deploying U.S. ground forces to Iran, except in an effort to control the Strait of Hormuz.”

He added that Donald Trump must make a decision: whether to continue pursuing a rapid end to the war. If so, this would require dealing with the Strait of Hormuz and, at a minimum, establishing a mechanism for negotiating over the nuclear issue. However, according to him, such a process is currently unavailable.

Panetta emphasized that controlling the region would require covering a distance of 50 miles on both sides of the strait and extending 100 miles inland—an effort that would inevitably result in catastrophic human casualties.

He concluded that the only realistic approach to regaining control of this waterway would be for both sides to agree on its operation through mediation by an “allied coalition,” ensuring freedom of navigation without imposed costs.