The assessment, shared by an intelligence official familiar with US military deliberations, paints a stark picture of Washington's strategic deadlock in the Persian Gulf.

The Strait of Hormuz, through which approximately one-fifth of global oil supply passes, has become a critical vulnerability for the United States amid its war against Iran.

"The Pentagon's assessment is that, at present, no military plan has the political and security capacity to guarantee the Strait of Hormuz remains open, ensure safe passage, and maintain energy stability," the informed regional source told Press TV.

The admission marks a significant setback for US military planners, who have long considered the strait a vital chokepoint requiring constant naval presence.

The inability to exert control on the strategic waterway has dealt a major blow to Washington's strategic posture in the region and exposes the limits of American military power against Iran's growing asymmetric capabilities.

The intelligence source further revealed that the deadlock has left US President Donald Trump deeply frustrated, prompting him to seek scapegoats within his own administration.

"Trump is frustrated, and he is seeking to settle scores and assign blame to the military and political layers around him," the source told Press TV.

The internal finger-pointing comes as the administration intensifies what the source described as "psychological warfare against Iran's economy," a campaign of threats and economic pressure designed to compensate for Washington's inability to achieve its strategic objectives militarily.

The Pentagon's acknowledgement that no viable military option exists effectively concedes Iran's strategic advantage in the narrow waterway, where geography and proximity favor the defender against the aggressor.

Iran maintains effective control over the strategic waterway and maintains that the passage through it will become completely safe once the US-Israeli war ends on all fronts and Iran’s legitimate demands as enshrined in the Islamabad memorandum of understanding (MoU) are honored by Washington.

The Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC), in a statement on Monday, said it is prepared to deliver a crushing response to any threat or aggression as a war-ending deal between Iran and the United States expires with no breakthrough in sight for talks to permanently end US hostilities.

The IRGC, the statement noted, “assures the honorable people of Iran that its forces, who are fully prepared and committed to employing all their capabilities, will work … in close coordination and synergy with the country’s other powerful armed forces to safeguard the Islamic Revolution and defend Iran’s territorial integrity, independence, dignity, and national interests.”

MNA